Currents

What is the general definition of a current?

A current is a flow of charge.

How is electrical current defined?

Electrical current is the number of charges that flow past a set point in the circuit in one second.

What instrument is used to measure electrical currents?

An ammeter is used to measure electrical currents.

What does an ammeter indicate about the current?

An ammeter indicates how high or low the current is by measuring the amount of charge flowing through it.

How is the direction of current flow described?

The direction of current flow is described as the direction that positively charged particles would flow.

Why do we describe current flow based on positively charged particles?

We follow this convention from early scientists even though we know electrons flow in the opposite direction.