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The ampere is an SI base unit and electric current is a base quantity in the International System of Quantities (ISQ). [4]: 15 Electric current is also known as amperage and is measured using a device called an ammeter. [2]: 788 Electric currents create magnetic fields, which are used in motors, generators, inductors, and transformers.
Electric current is the flow of electric charge through an object. The most common charge carriers are the positively charged proton and the negatively charged electron . The movement of any of these charged particles constitutes an electric current.
In n-type semiconductors, electrons in the conduction band move through the crystal, resulting in an electric current. In some conductors, such as ionic solutions and plasmas, positive and negative charge carriers coexist, so in these cases an electric current consists of the two types of carrier moving in opposite directions.
Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even through a vacuum as in electron or ion beams. The electric current flows in a constant direction, distinguishing it from alternating current (AC). A term formerly used for this type of current was galvanic current. [1]
While I–V curves are applicable to any electrical system, they find wide use in the field of biological electricity, particularly in the sub-field of electrophysiology. In this case, the voltage refers to the voltage across a biological membrane, a membrane potential, and the current is the flow of charged ions through channels in this ...
Electric discharge in gases occurs when electric current flows through a gaseous medium due to ionization of the gas. Depending on several factors, the discharge may radiate visible light. The properties of electric discharges in gases are studied in connection with design of lighting sources and in the design of high voltage electrical equipment.
The magnetic field (marked B, indicated by red field lines) around wire carrying an electric current (marked I) Compass and wire apparatus showing Ørsted's experiment (video [1]) In electromagnetism, Ørsted's law, also spelled Oersted's law, is the physical law stating that an electric current induces a magnetic field. [2]
A salt bridge or porous membrane connects the two solutions, keeping electric neutrality and the avoidance of charge accumulation. The metal's differences in oxidation/reduction potential drive the reaction until equilibrium. [1] Key features: spontaneous reaction; generates electric current; current flows through a wire, and ions flow through ...