3.1.2.

Question 1

What is current?

Answer 1

Current is the rate of flow of charged particles, or charge, that are in the metal wires that you use to make circuits. The charges that move are electrons. Each electron has a very small charge, but there are large numbers of them in the wires.

Question 2

How do you make a current flow?

Answer 2

To make a current flow you need a cell or a battery, or a power supply, as well as a complete circuit. The current everywhere in a single closed loop is the same.

Question 3

How do you model electricity?

Answer 3

You can model an electric circuit with a loop of rope. A person pulling the rope represents the battery, the movement of the rope represents the current, and someone gripping the rope represents a circuit component.

Question 4

Which way does current flow?

Answer 4

When you draw the direction of electric current on a circuit diagram, you draw it going in the direction of the positive terminal of the battery to the negative terminal. This is called conventional current. This is opposite to electron flow.

Question 5

What is the formula for charge?

Answer 5

Charge flow (C) = current (A) x time (S).

C = Coulombs.
A = Amperes.
S = Seconds.

Question 6

What are small currents measured in?

Answer 6

Small currents are measured in milliamps (mA), and 1 mA = 1 × 10-3 A.