Understanding the Flow of Electric Current in a Circuit

Electric current is a fundamental concept in the field of electrical engineering and physics. It is defined as the rate of flow of electric charge through a conductor. In this article, we will explore the calculation of electric current using the formula I Q/t, where I is the current in amperes (A), Q is the charge in coulombs (C), and t is the time in seconds (s).

Definition and Calculation of Current

The formula for electric current is

I Q/t

where:

Q is the charge in coulombs (C). t is the time in seconds (s). I is the current in amperes (A).

To understand the calculation, let's consider a scenario where a charge of 20 coulombs (C) passes a point in a circuit in 1 second (s).

Example Calculation

Given that

Q 20 C t 1 s

We can substitute these values into the formula to find the current:

[ I frac{20 text{C}}{1 text{s}} 20 text{A} ]

Therefore, the current flowing in the circuit is 20 amperes (A).

SI Unit of Current – Ampere

The SI unit of current is the ampere (A). One ampere is defined as the flow of one coulomb of electric charge per second. This is referred to as the charge passing through a conductor in one second.

Mathematically, it can be represented as:

[ I frac{Q}{t} ]

Where:

Q is the electric charge in coulombs (C). t is the time in seconds (s). I is the current in amperes (A).

Given that Q 20 C and t 1 s, the calculation becomes:

[ I frac{20 text{C}}{1 text{s}} 20 text{A} ]

Thus, the current flowing is 20 amperes (A).

Basic Definition of Current

The basic definition of electric current is the rate at which electric charge flows through a conductor. This rate is measured in amperes (A).

Key Points to Remember

The formula to calculate current is I Q/t. One ampere is equal to a flow of one coulomb of electric charge per second. Electric current is the time rate of change of charge, expressed as I dq/dt.

With this understanding, we can easily compute the electric current in any given scenario by using the appropriate values for charge and time.