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The word 'current' is defined as the flow of particles in a particular direction. For example, air currents cause winds, ocean currents, etc. Likewise, electric current is the flow of electric charges in a direction.
![water12099461280jpg.jpg](https://resources.cdn.yaclass.in/980d94fa-5167-4715-9f75-94bed02a80f7/water12099461280jpgw300.jpg)
Ocean currents
An electric current is generated by the motion of electric charges (electrons) through any conductor like copper wire. In other words, moving electrons generate an electric current.
![shutterstock1092303974newpng.png](https://resources.cdn.yaclass.in/b7d624ca-8dbe-4d19-99bc-a945ba83fc12/shutterstock1092303974newpngw300.png)
The flow of electrons in a circuit
Have you ever noticed a river flowing through the channel or pathway while travelling on the outskirts of the city?
![river-5437100_1280.jpg](https://resources.cdn.yaclass.in/205209a2-9aa2-4f4e-8c33-26e5c1372e2c/river54371001280w300.jpg)
A river channel
When you observe a river channel, you can easily notice that the water flows from a higher level to a lower level.
Even air moves from a high-pressure region to a low-pressure region, thus creating winds. Likewise, in an electric circuit, the charges also flow in the same manner.
The direction of charges:
When a conducting path (wire) is provided to a charged object, electrons begin to flow through the path from a higher electric potential to a lower electric potential zone.
Direction of current
The direction of the current is always from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of the battery through a conducting wire.
Unit of electric current:
Electric current or simply current is denoted by the symbol '\(I\)'. It is the total amount of charges flowing in a cross-section of a conductor in unit time.
Electric current or simply current is denoted by the symbol '\(I\)'. It is the total amount of charges flowing in a cross-section of a conductor in unit time.
The flow of charges in a conductor
If a net charge (\(Q\)) flows through any cross-section area of a conductor in unit time (\(t\)), then the current (\(I\)) flowing through the conductor is given as,
Electric current is a scalar quantity. The SI unit of the electric current is ampere (\(A\)).
One ampere is defined as the amount of current flowing through any cross-section of a conductor when one coulomb of charge flows through it in one second.
Mathematically,
Other units in ampere:
There are some other units of ampere listed in the table below.
Units | Symbols | In ampere |
kiloampere | \(kA\) | \(10^3 A\) |
Megaampere | \(MA\) | \(10^6 A\) |
milliampere | \(mA\) | \(10^{-3} A\) |
microampere | \(\mu A\) | \(10^{-6} A\) |