The movement of an electric charge via a conductor is known as electric current. Electrons are negatively charged particles that carry electric charge. Electric current is produced when electrons flow through a conductor.Amperes (A) are units used to measure electric current. The flow of one coulomb of electric charge per second is equal to one ampere. The direction that positive charges would flow is known as the direction of electric current. The real flow of charge, however, occurs from negative to positive in the majority of conductors.
Introduction
The electric current is the flow of current or charge in electric circuits in terms of scientific understanding. The charge is sometimes simultaneously carried by the ions and electrons. The charge of the current needs to be measured by flowing through the circuit.
SI Unit of Current
The ampere, represented by the letter A, is the SI unit of current. The flow of one coulomb of electrical charge per second is known as an ampere.
The charge of approximately 6.2415 1018 electrons makes up one coulomb.
The French physicist and mathematician André-Marie Ampère, who made substantial contributions to the study of electromagnetic, is honored by having his name attached to the ampere.
Since the ampere is one of the base units of the SI system, it cannot be defined in terms of other units. The kilogram, the meter, the second, the kelvin, the mole, and the candela are the additional base units of the SI system.
- I = Electric current
- V = Voltage
- R = Resistance of Material
I = V/R
Standard Electric Units
| Parameter | Measuring Unit | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | volt (V or E) | |
| Current | amp (I) | |
| Resistance | ohm (R or Ω) | |
| Conductance | mho (G or ℧) | |
| Power | watt (W) | or |
| Inductance | henry (L or H) | ) |
| Capacitance | farad (C) |
How to Measure Unit of Current
An ammeter is used to compute the ampere. Electric current flow over a circuit is measured using an ammeter.
Ammeters often fall into one of two categories:
- Analog ammeters: Analog ammeters display the amount of current flowing through a circuit using a needle.
- Digital ammeters: Digital ammeters display the amount of current flowing through the circuit in numerical form.
What is Ammeter and Types of Ammeter
The construction of the ammeter and the kind of current that passes through it determine the many types of ammeters. Ammeters are divided into the following categories based on their structural characteristics:
- arm-moving ammeter
- Ammeter of the Rectifier Type
- Ammeter with a permanently moving coil
- Ammeter for electrodynamometers
The ammeters are divided into the following groups according to the kind of current that passes through them:
Ammeters in DC and AC
Electrical Units and Symbols
| Electrical Value | Measuring Unit | Unit Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | Volt | V or E |
| Capacitance | Farad | C |
| Resistance | Ohm | R or Ω |
| Charge | Coulomb | Q |
| Inductance | Henry | L or H |
| Impedance | Ohm | Z |
| Power | Watts | W |
| Frequency | Hertz | Hz |
| Conductance | Siemen | G or ℧ |
What is the difference between Amperes and volts
| Parameter | Amperes (A) | Volts (V) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The rate of flow of electric charge | The potential difference between two points in an electric circuit |
| Symbol | A | V |
| Unit of measurement | The ampere | The volt |
| Examples | A lightning bolt can carry hundreds of thousands of amperes. A household circuit typically has an amperage of 15 to 20 amperes. A car battery can provide up to 100 amperes of current. | A battery can have a voltage of 1.5 volts. A wall outlet has a voltage of 120 volts. |
| Relationship | The amount of current (in amperes) that flows through a circuit is determined by the voltage (in volts) applied to the circuit and the resistance of the circuit. | The voltage (in volts) between two points in an electric circuit is equal to the work done per unit charge in moving a charge from one point to the other. |
Things to Remember
- The SI unit for electric current is Ampere or amp.
- The value of 1 Ampere is equal to the flow of charge of 1 coulomb in 1 second. The amount of current is associated with the amount of charge flowing per second.
- The device used for measuring an electric current is an ammeter.
- The ampere is an internationally recognized and accepted unit of current since 1908 and has been measured progressively better with the progress of measuring instruments.
- The electric current is the flow of current or charge in electric circuits in terms of scientific understanding.
- One ampere is roughly equivalent to approx 6.24×1018 elementary charges passing a given point in one second
FAQs
The SI unit of electric current is the ampere, denoted by the symbol A. The ampere is defined as the flow of one coulomb of electric charge per second
The ampere is defined as the flow of one coulomb of electric charge per second. One coulomb is the charge of approximately 6.2415 × 10^18 electrons.
Amperes and volts are different units of measurement. Amperes measure the flow of electric current, while volts measure the potential difference between two points in an electric circuit.
A lightning bolt can carry hundreds of thousands of amperes
