Physics Tutorial: Electric Current - Paperless Classroom

Electric current has been a revolutionary invention in terms of the development of human life. Nowadays, it has become a part of our daily lives since most of our machines and gadgets depend on it. Therefore read this article to know what is current and its properties.

Electric Current Definition

A common question that has to be answered is what is current?’ and ‘what is the definition of electric current?’ The electric current definition can be seen as the rate at which electrons flow in a conductor.

Ampere is the SI unit of electric current. This is the basic definition of current.

Electrons are tiny particles that are present within the molecular structure of any element. These electrons are sometimes held tightly and sometimes held loosely.

The time when they are loosely held, they can move freely within the confinement of the body. Electrons are negatively charged; hence when they move, some charges move alongside them. 

Hence, to answer what is current in physics, electric current is this movement.  This is the proper current definition. However, some materials allow better movement of electrons than others. Concerning this ability, the materials are divided into conductors and insulators.

Conductors allow free movement of the electrons resulting in charge transfer.  To answer 'what is current?', this flow of electrons inside a conductor produces an electric current.

The force needed to move the current within a conductor is called voltage. Some examples of conductors are metals like silver, iron, and gold.

On the other hand, materials restricting the free flow of electrons are called insulators. In such materials, the charge is distributed across the insulator's surface evenly.

Examples of insulators are wood, glass, and plastic. Hence, the concept of conductors and insulators can also be used to define current.

Electric current is measured in terms of its magnitude. Its unit is coulombs per second. Ampere or the SI unit of electric current is represented by A.

In terms of Ampere and coulomb, you can define Ampere as one coulomb of charge moving in 1 second. Ampere is usually used within electronic and electrical technology alongside variations and multipliers like microamp (0.000001A), milliamp (0.001A), etc.

You can further understand this through pictures of electric current getting used in various applications.

Electric Current Properties

In electronic circuits, electric current is an essential quantity. Modern life is so engrossed with electricity that our life is unimaginable without it. It is present in every sphere of market and industry.

Hence, after understanding the definition of current physics, the properties of electric current are very important for everyone to know. 

1. The flow of electrons is the main initiator of electric current to stop electric energy is the work done for moving electron streams. You can successfully convert this electrical energy into other forms of energy such as light energy and heat energy. This transmission can be seen in daily life from examples like lighting a bulb.

2. There are two types of electric current - Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC). In direct current, the flow continues in only one direction, whereas in AC, the flow is two-directional. In industries, direct current is often used as the major energy source.

It is mostly used for charging batteries, in aircraft applications, and other low voltage applications. On the other hand, AC is used mainly for household, industrial, and commercial uses.

These two current types consist of the fundamentals of the definition of current physics.

3.The current flow definition states that in the direction in which a positive charge moves, the electric current also moves conventionally in that direction.

Therefore in external circuits, the flowing current is directed away towards the negative terminal from the positive terminal. You can further understand this with the concept of the type of wave physics.

Electric Current and its Effects

After getting an answer to 'what is a current?’, it is important to know its effects. Whenever a current is flowing through a conductor, some signs indicate its presence. Some of the prominent ones are:

Magnetic Effect

Whenever an electric current flows through a conductor, an effect of a magnetic field is created. The electric current definition lays the base for such a result.

This can be observed if a wire carrying a huge amount of direct current is brought near a compass. Since there is a presence of the magnetic field, the compass needle starts deflecting.

This magnetic field which is created by the flow of electric current is used in many places. You can enhance this effect greatly by winding the wire into a coil shape. You can also use it to make an electromagnet.

Heating Effect

Iron box is a regularly used item in our household. It is used to make crumpled clothes crisp and neat.

This box principally works on the theory of the heating effect generated by the flow of current.

Apart from iron boxes, numerous such devices utilize this heating effect.

According to the current physics definition, whenever an electric current passes through a conductor, the conductor gets heated.

Moreover, according to this current scientific definition, the heating effect is represented by the equation- H=I2RT. There are several factors on which the heating effect depends.

1. The time for which the current passes is an important factor.

The amount of heat is directly proportional to the time taken by the flow of the current. With the rise in this time, the heat also gets higher.

2. The amount of current is also an important factor. The current definition of physics states that the amount of heat produced is directly proportional to the amount of current passing through the conductor.

3.The electric resistance present in the conductor also determines the heat generated. According to the definition of current electricity, the amount of heat produced increases as the conductor's resistance gets higher.

Chemical Effect

There are adverse effects of electric current when passed through a solution, as stated in the current chemistry definition. Whenever such a thing happens, the solution ionizes and gets broken down into ions.

This is because a chemical reaction occurs in the solution in the presence of an electric current.

Several effects can be observed depending on the electrode and the kind of solution used. Sometimes we can observe metallic deposits present on the electrodes.

The color of the solution may also change. Moreover, the solution may release gases or may produce bubbles. These are also stated in the current definition of chemistry.

Therefore, this is some information regarding electric current, its uses, its nature, and types of electric currents. You can easily define electric current through this article.

You can further explore this subject with electrical current pictures.  Physics is a subject that you cannot explore without knowing about electric current properly.

Hence every student wishing to achieve a deeper knowledge about physics must also have an in-depth understanding of electric current and type of current.