Current and voltage

• Current is the flow of charge

  • Assume positively charged particles
    • Real physical current is negatively charged electrons
  • Units are amps; we will use mA (10–3A) or µA (10–6A)
    • 1 amp = 1 coulomb/sec
  • 1 electron has a charge of –1.6×10–19 coulombs

• Voltage is a measure of potential energy

  • Work that can be done by the electrons
  • Must always have a reference; we will use ground
  • Units are volts; we will use V or mV (10–3V)

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