An electric current is a flow of electric charge carriers, such as subatomic charged particles (e.g., electrons having negative charge, protons having positive charge), ions (atoms that have lost or gained one or more electrons), or holes (electron deficiencies that may be thought of as positive particles).
Current is a rate at which a charge passes by a point on the electric circuit. Electric charge flows when there is voltage present across a conductor. In electric circuits this charge is often carried by moving electrons in a wire. It can also be carried by ions in an electrolyte.
Current = I = Q/t
Electric current is generally denoted by symbol ‘I’. The SI unit for measuring current is called ampere. One amphere is the flow of electric charges through a surface at the rate of one coloumb per second, and it is measured using an ammeter.
Electric current causes many effect like heating and inducing magnetic fields, which have wide application in many modern day appliances like motors, inductors and generators.
In a typical home, commercial power line make 100 amps current where light bulb consumes 1 amps and installation of a single AC unit consumes power approximately 15 amps.
Flow and Direction of Current
Electrons which are the mobile charge carriers are responsible for electric current in conductors, such as wires. Current is said to be the flow of either positive or negative charges or both. In a cuircuit flow of positive charges have same electic current and same effect as an equal flow of negative charges in the opposite direction.
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