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Electric current is the flow (movement) of electric charge. The SI unit of electric
current is the ampere (A), which is equal to a flow of one coulomb of charge per
second.
Definition:
The amount of electric current (measured in amperes) through some surface, e.g.,
a section through a copper conductor, is defined as the amount of electric charge
(measured in coulombs) flowing through that surface over time. If Q is the amount
of charge that passed through the surface in the time t, then the average current I
is:
By making the measurement time T shrink to zero, we get the instantaneous current
i(t) as:
The ampere, the measure of electric current, is an SI base unit so that the coulomb,
the measure of electric charge, is derived from the definition of the ampere.
It follows that:
and
Ohm's law
Ohm's law predicts the current in an (ideal) resistor (or other ohmic device) to be
applied voltage divided by resistance:
Where I is the current, measured in amperes V is the potential difference
measured in volts R is the resistance measured in ohms
Conventional current
Conventional current was defined early in the history of electrical science as a flow
of positive charge. In solid metals, like wires, the positive charge carriers are
immobile, and only the negatively charged electrons flow. Because the electron
carries negative charge, the electron current is in the direction opposite that of the
conventional (or electric) current.
Diagram showing conventional current notation.
Electric charge moves from the positive side of the
power source to the negative.
In other conductive materials, the electric current is
due to the flow of charged particles in both
directions at the same time. Electric currents in
electrolytes are flows of electrically charged atoms
(ions), which exist in both positive and negative
varieties. For example, an electrochemical cell may
be constructed with salt water (a solution of sodium
chloride) on one side of a membrane and pure water on the other. The membrane
lets the positive sodium ions pass, but not the negative chloride ions, so a net
current results. Electric currents in plasma are flows of electrons as well as positive
and negative ions. In ice and in certain solid electrolytes, flowing protons constitute
the electric current. To simplify this situation, the original definition of conventional
current still stands.
There are also materials where the electric current is due to the flow of electrons
and yet it is conceptually easier to think of the current as due to the flow of positive
"holes" (the spots that should have an electron to make the conductor neutral). This
is the case in a p-type semiconductor.
Electrical safety
The most obvious hazard is electrical shock, where a current passes through part of
the body. It is the amount of current passing through the body that determines the
effect, and this depends on the nature of the contact, the condition of the body part,
the current path through the body and the voltage of the source. While a very small
amount can cause a slight tingle, too much can cause severe burns if it passes
through the skin or even cardiac arrest if enough passes through the heart. The
effect also varies considerably from individual to individual. (For approximate figures
see Shock Effects under electric shock.)
Due to this and the fact that passing current cannot be easily predicted in most
practical circumstances, any supply of over 50 volts should be considered a possible
source of dangerous electric shock. In particular, note that 110 volts (a minimum
voltage at which AC mains power is distributed in much of the Americas, and 4
other countries, mostly in Asia) can certainly cause a lethal amount of current to
pass through the body.
Electric arcs, which can occur with supplies of any voltage (for example, a typical
arc welding machine has a voltage between the electrodes of just a few tens of
volts), are very hot and emit ultra-violet (UV) and infra-red radiation (IR). Proximity
to an electric arc can therefore cause severe thermal burns, and UV is damaging to
unprotected eyes and skin.
Accidental electric heating can also be dangerous. An overloaded power cable is a
frequent cause of fire. A battery as small as an AA cell placed in a pocket with metal
coins can lead to a short circuit heating the battery and the coins which may inflict
burns. NiCad, NiMh cells, and Lithium batteries are particularly risky because they
can deliver a very high current due to their low internal resistance