Help! I've been trying to get a positive number on my multimeter for the resistance in a circuit. However, I keep ending up with either 1 or negative ohms. Switching the leads gives me either the 1 or a negative number. My circuit is closed as well, and I have various resistances.

 

How can I get my multimeter to read positive ohms?

Or can I assume the negative number would be the same if it were positive?

What kind of circuit? If there is a capacitor discharging in it you can get a funny result.

It's possible the - display is actually telling you something (like over load, or below measurable value) check the manual.

I think you are measuring the circuit with it switched on! - you can't do that, a resistance meter injects a small voltage into the circuit you are measuring and records the current drawn by that circuit. So you are measuring current not resistance, it's just that the meter is calibrated in ohms (but actually reads current). If the circuit is switched on or there is a capacitor or other small charge in the circuit it may easily 'swamp' the tiny signal from the meter and be recorded as 'negative'.

 

Leave the circuit switched off over night and disconnected from it's power source, then try to to measure it again in the morning, if it still reads 'negative ohms' patent it quick!