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Intro to Current definitions

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  • Electrodynamics
    Study of electric charges in motion, as opposed to electrostatics where charges are stationary.
  • Current
    Flow of electric charge, typically measured in amperes, representing charge passing through a point per unit time.
  • Conventional Current
    Direction of current flow assumed to be positive charges, opposite to the actual electron flow.
  • Potential Difference
    Voltage between two points that motivates charge movement, also known as electromotive force.
  • Electromotive Force
    Another term for potential difference, not an actual force, but drives electron movement.
  • Amperes
    Unit of electric current, equivalent to one coulomb of charge passing a point per second.
  • Capacitor
    Device that stores electrical energy in an electric field, used in the example to calculate current.
  • Nano Coulombs
    Unit of electric charge, equal to 10^-9 coulombs, used in the example calculation.
  • Milliamp
    One thousandth of an ampere, used to measure small currents in the example.
  • Elementary Charge
    Fundamental charge unit, approximately 1.6 x 10^-19 coulombs, used to calculate electron numbers.
  • Cross-sectional Area
    Area through which charge flows, used to define current as charge per time.
  • Electron Flow
    Actual movement of electrons, opposite to the direction of conventional current.