What is ampere? - Definition from Whatis.com

An ampere is a unit of measure of the rate of electron flow or current in an electrical conductor. One ampere of current represents one coulomb of electrical charge (6.24 x 1018 charge carriers) moving past a specific point in one second. Physicists consider current to flow from relatively positive points to relatively negative points; this is called conventional current or Franklin current.

The ampere is named after Andre Marie Ampere, French physicist (1775-1836).

This was last updated in January 2000

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