How to measure an electric current?
Electric current is the flow of electric charge through a material. It is the rate at which electric charge flows past a point in a circuit. The flow of electric charge is typically carried by electrons, which are negatively charged particles.
The SI unit for current is the coulomb per second, or the ampere (A), which is an SI base unit:
1 ampere = 1A = 1 coulomb per second = 1 C/s.
Electric current can be measured using a device called an ammeter, which is designed specifically to measure the flow of electric charge through a conductor. There are several different types of ammeters, but they all work by measuring the magnetic field created by the flow of current through a conductor.
To measure the current in a circuit using an ammeter, the ammeter is connected in series with the circuit, so that all of the current flowing through the circuit also flows through the ammeter. The ammeter typically has a low resistance, so that it does not significantly affect the current flow in the circuit.
Once the ammeter is connected in series with the circuit, the current can be read from the ammeter display. Some ammeters are analog, with a needle that moves along a scale to indicate the current, while others are digital, with a numerical readout that displays the current value.
