In what units is electric current measured?

In what units is electric current measured?

• A. Volts
• B. Ohms
• C. Amperes or coulombs per second
• D. Watts

Answer: (C)

Current is the rate at which electric charges flow through a conductor. The standard unit for that rate is the ampere, defined as one coulomb of charge passing a given point each second. So current is measured in amperes, or equivalently in coulombs per second. This distinguishes it from voltage, which measures potential difference (the push that drives the flow), and from resistance, which measures how much a material resists the flow. Power, measured in watts, is related as P = VI, tying together current and voltage. In practice, small currents are often expressed in milliamperes or microamperes.

Current is the rate at which electric charges flow through a conductor. The standard unit for that rate is the ampere, defined as one coulomb of charge passing a given point each second. So current is measured in amperes, or equivalently in coulombs per second. This distinguishes it from voltage, which measures potential difference (the push that drives the flow), and from resistance, which measures how much a material resists the flow. Power, measured in watts, is related as P = VI, tying together current and voltage. In practice, small currents are often expressed in milliamperes or microamperes.