One ampere (1 A) is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the amount of current that flows when one coulomb of charge passes through a conductor in one second.
To break it down:
- Coulomb is the unit of electric charge.
- If 1 coulomb of charge moves through a wire in 1 second, the current flowing through that wire is 1 ampere.
In simpler terms, 1 ampere is the flow of electric charge through a conductor when
1 coulomb of charge moves past a point in
1 second.
Mathematically, you can think of it as:
\[
I = \frac{Q}{t}
\]
Where:
- I is the current in amperes (A),
- Q is the charge in coulombs (C),
- t is the time in seconds (s).
So, 1 ampere means 1 coulomb of charge passing a point in 1 second!