Editing Electric current (section)

{{Short description|Flow of electric charge}}
{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Infobox physical quantity
| name = Electric current
| image = Ohm's Law with Voltage source TeX.svg
| caption = A simple electric circuit, where current is represented by the letter ''i''. The relationship between the voltage (''V''), resistance (''R''), and current (''i'' or ''I'') is ''V=IR''; this is known as [[Ohm's law]].
| unit = [[ampere]]
| otherunits =
| symbols = ''I''
| baseunits =
| dimension = <math>\mathsf I</math>
| extensive =
| intensive =
| conserved =
| transformsas =
| derivations = <math>I = {V \over R} , I = {Q \over t} </math>
}}
{{Electromagnetism|Network}}

An '''electric current''' is a flow of [[charged particle]]s, such as [[electron]]s or [[ion]]s, moving through an [[electrical conductor]] or space. It is defined as the net rate of flow of [[electric charge]] through a surface.<ref name="horowitz">{{cite book|last1=Horowitz|first1=Paul|title=The art of electronics|last2=Hill|first2=Winfield|date=2015|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|isbn=978-0-521-80926-9|edition=3rd|author-link1=Paul Horowitz (scientist)|author-link2=Winfield Hill}}</ref>{{rp|2}}<ref name="Walker">{{Cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Jearl|title=Fundamentals of physics|last2=Halliday|first2=David|last3=Resnick|first3=Robert|date=2014|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-1118230732|edition=10th|location=Hoboken, NJ|oclc=950235056}}</ref>{{rp|622}} The moving particles are called [[charge carrier]]s, which may be one of several types of particles, depending on the [[Electrical conductor|conductor]].  In [[electric circuit]]s the charge carriers are often [[electron]]s moving through a [[wire]]. In [[semiconductor]]s they can be electrons or [[Electron hole|holes]]. In an [[Electrolyte#Electrochemistry|electrolyte]] the charge carriers are [[ion]]s, while in [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]], an [[Ionization|ionized]] gas, they are ions and electrons.<ref>{{cite book
 | title = The electronics companion
 | author = Anthony C. Fischer-Cripps
 | publisher = CRC Press
 | year = 2004
 | isbn = 978-0-7503-1012-3
 | page = 13
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3SsYctmvZkoC&pg=PA13
 }}</ref>

In the [[International System of Units]] (SI), electric current is expressed in [[Unit of measurement|units]] of [[ampere]] (sometimes called an "amp", symbol A), which is equivalent to one [[coulomb]] per second. The ampere is an [[SI base unit]] and electric current is a [[ISQ base quantity|base quantity]] in the [[International System of Quantities]] (ISQ).<ref name="SI">{{SIbrochure9th}}</ref>{{rp|15}} Electric current is also known as '''amperage''' and is measured using a device called an ''[[ammeter]]''.<ref name=Walker/>{{rp|788}}

Electric currents create [[magnetic fields]], which are used in motors, generators, [[inductor]]s, and [[transformer]]s. In ordinary conductors, they cause [[Joule heating]], which creates [[light]] in [[incandescent light bulbs]]. Time-varying currents emit [[electromagnetic waves]], which are used in [[telecommunications]] to broadcast information.