The abbreviation "Ah" stands for "ampere-hour." It's a unit of electric charge commonly used to describe the capacity of batteries.
Here's a breakdown of the term:
- **Ampere (A):** This is a unit of electric current. It measures the flow of electric charge through a conductor.
- **Hour (h):** This is a unit of time.
So, an ampere-hour (Ah) represents the amount of charge a battery can deliver at a constant current of one ampere for one hour. For example, if you have a 5 Ah battery, it theoretically means that the battery can provide 5 amperes of current for one hour, or 1 ampere for 5 hours, before it needs recharging.
This unit is crucial in determining how long a battery will last under a specific load, which helps in choosing the right battery for various applications, such as in electronics, electric vehicles, and power storage systems.