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SENSITIVITY OF A GOVERNOR IS A MEASURE OF ITS ABILITY TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE WITHIN NARROW LIMIT. THIS WILL LEAD TO A LARGE MOVEMENT OF CONTROL SLEEVE FOR ONLY A SMALL CHANGE IN THE RADIUS IN WHICH THE FLYWEIGHTS ARE REVOLVING. 

MATHEMATICALLY IT IS THE RATIO OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM EQUILIBRIUM SPEED TO MEAN EQUILIBRIUM SPEED.

I.E IF;

                                                   N1= MAXIMUM EQUILIBRIUM SPEED

                                                   N2= MINIMUM EQUILIBRIUM SPEED

                                                   N= (N1+N2)/2

THEN                                      SENSITIVITY= (N1-N2)/N

A HIGH SENSITIVE GOVERNOR WILL LEAD TO HUNTING OF GOVERNOR AND HENCE IT SHOULD BE CONTROLLED AND SET ACCORDINGLY.

STABILITY OF GOVERNOR:-

WITH A GOVERNOR THE NO LOAD POSITION OF THE FLYWEIGHTS WILL BE SUCH THAT AT SOME SPEED LET IT BE N2 THE WEIGHTS WILL BE AT A MAXIMUM RADIUS R2. AS THE LOAD ON THE ENGINE INCREASES A SLIGHT DROP IN SPEED OCCURS AND THE FLYWEIGHTS MOVE TO A NEW EQUILIBRIUM POSITION SLIGHTLY LESS IN RADIUS THAN R2. MOREOVER INCREASE IN LOAD CAUSES A FURTHER DECREASE IN SPEED AND FURTHER REDUCTION IN THE RADIUS AT WHICH THE FLYWEIGHTS ARE OPERATING. 

A GOVERNOR IS STABLE WHEN THERE IS ONLY ONE RADIUS OF ROTATION OF THE FLYWEIGHTS FOR EACH SPEED AT WHICH THE GOVERNOR OPERATES, WITHIN THE SPEED RANGE OF THE GOVERNOR.