How is electric current related to the rate of flow of charge?
1 Answer
Electric current is directly related to the rate of flow of electric charge. The electric current is a measure of the amount of charge passing through a particular point in a conductor per unit of time. The greater the rate at which electric charge flows, the larger the electric current.
The relationship between electric current (I), charge flow (Q), and time (t) is described by the following formula:
I = Q / t
where:
I = Electric current (measured in amperes, A)
Q = Charge flow (measured in coulombs, C)
t = Time (measured in seconds, s)
In simpler terms, the electric current (I) is equal to the total amount of charge (Q) passing through a conductor divided by the time (t) it takes for that charge to flow through the conductor.
For example, if 10 coulombs of charge pass through a wire in 5 seconds, the electric current in the wire would be:
I = 10 C / 5 s = 2 A
This means the electric current in the wire is 2 amperes, indicating a flow of 2 coulombs of charge per second. Thus, the rate at which charge flows through a conductor determines the magnitude of the electric current passing through it.
The relationship between electric current (I), charge flow (Q), and time (t) is described by the following formula:
I = Q / t
where:
I = Electric current (measured in amperes, A)
Q = Charge flow (measured in coulombs, C)
t = Time (measured in seconds, s)
In simpler terms, the electric current (I) is equal to the total amount of charge (Q) passing through a conductor divided by the time (t) it takes for that charge to flow through the conductor.
For example, if 10 coulombs of charge pass through a wire in 5 seconds, the electric current in the wire would be:
I = 10 C / 5 s = 2 A
This means the electric current in the wire is 2 amperes, indicating a flow of 2 coulombs of charge per second. Thus, the rate at which charge flows through a conductor determines the magnitude of the electric current passing through it.