What is Electric Current (Definitions, Formulas, Ampere, and use of Ampere Meter or Ammeter)

Electric Current

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss what is current or electric current. Its unit is ampere and the current is measured by an ampere meter or simply an ammeter. You will also know about some related terms those are, direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC).

An electric current is a movement or flow of electrically charged particles, usually electrons or protons. Electric current is measured in amperes. The common symbol for electric current is the uppercase letter I. An ampere (abbreviated "A") is a unit of electric current equal to one coulomb per second.


What is electric current?

Electric current is a flow of electric charge. It is measured in amperes. Current is caused by the flow of electrons in a conductor. The moving electrons create a force that pushes against the electric field. This push is what we call an electric current.



Electric current definitions

·         The electric current is said to be the rate of flow of charges.

·         The rate of flow of electrons in an electric circuit is called electric current or the flow of charges per second time is called current.

In general, electric current is the flow of electric charge. This charge is often carried by electrons in a metal conductor such as a wire. The charge can also be carried by ions in an electrolyte, or by both electrons and ions in a plasma.

In fact, anything that can flow can carry electric current. For example, water current is the flow of water molecules through a pipe, and blood current is the flow of blood cells through a vessel. By analogy, we often speak of an "electric current" flowing through a circuit.



The electric current in a circuit


An electric current is a flow of electrons through a conductor, measured in amperes. The current in a circuit is caused by a voltage difference, and it will flow if there's a complete path (a circuit) between the two points of voltage.

The current is affected by the resistance in the circuit. If there's more resistance, the current will be less because it will be opposed by the resistance. If there's less resistance, the current will be greater because there will be less opposition to its flow.


Electric Current Formula

 

Mathematically,

1.       I = V / R

Where I is the current flowing through any circuit due to the voltage applied V, and R is the resistance of the same circuit. So,

       Current = Voltage / Resistance

2.       I = Q / T

Q is the charge in coulombs, which is the charge unit, and T is the time in seconds.

 

How is electric current measured?

Electrical current is measured in amperes and can be found by measuring the voltage drop across a resistor using an ammeter.


The Ampere

The unit of the current in the System International (SI) is Ampere.
The ampere is the unit used to measure electric current. It is named after André-Marie Ampère (1775-1836), who was a French physicist and one of the main discoverers of electromagnetism.

One ampere is equal to one coulomb per second, which is the rate of flow of electric charge. This means that an ampere can be thought of as a measure of the number of electrons flowing through a conductor in a given time.

The current is said to be 1 ampere when the 1-coulomb charge is passing through a circuit for 1 second.

 

Ampere Meter

It is an electrical device that is used to measure electrical current. It is connected in series to the circuit and so the entire current of the circuit passes through it and it gives the reading of that circuit.

 

The difference between direct and alternating current

Electricity is the flow of electrons. Current is measured in amps. There are two types of currents, these are, direct (DC) and alternating (AC). DC is a current that flows only in one direction. AC is a current that flows in one direction and then changes direction. There are some differences between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC).



Direct current


DC, or Direct Current, is an electrical current that flows in one direction only. It is produced by batteries, fuel cells, and solar panels or collected from other sources such as the output of a DC generator. Once DC has been collected, it is then able to flow through conductors such as wires to provide power to devices that require DC to function correctly.



Alternating current


In direct current (DC), the current always flows in the same direction. In alternating current (AC), the current periodically reverses direction. The time-averaged value of an alternating current is zero, but it delivers power when integrated over a complete cycle.

The standard household voltage in North America is 120 volts (60 Hz). The standard voltage in Europe is 240 volts (50 Hz). In most other parts of the world, the standard voltage is 220 volts (50 Hz).

The main advantage of AC over DC is that AC can be easily transformed to higher or lower voltages using a transformer. This property is used in power distribution systems, where long-distance transmission takes place at high voltages to reduce losses, and transformers are used to step down the voltage for domestic use.


Conclusion

In conclusion, electrical current is the flow of electrons through a conductor. It is measured in amperes and can be either direct or alternating.


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