Scientific Definitions of Current

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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated January 15, 2020

In science, the word "current" refers to the flow of a medium. The specific definition depends on the context:

Definition (Electricity)

Current is the rate of flow of electricity. The unit of current is the ampere (A) which is defined as 1 ampere = 1 coulomb per second.

Definition (Fluid)

Current is the flow of a fluid, such as a gas or liquid. Air currents refer to air, while ocean currents and rip currents refer to water. A typical unit is meters per second (m/s).

Definition (Quantum Mechanics)

In physics, a current may refer to a probability current, which is also called a probability flux. This is a quantity that described the probability of flow in terms of unit time per unit area.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Scientific Definitions of Current." ThoughtCo, Aug. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/current-definition-606756. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 29). Scientific Definitions of Current. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/current-definition-606756 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Scientific Definitions of Current." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/current-definition-606756 (accessed April 16, 2021).