HOSA Dental Terminology Practice

What does "current" refer to in electrical terms?

1. Measure of voltage

2. Resistance in a circuit

3. Measure of the number of electrons per second

4. Capacity of a battery

The correct answer is: Measure of the number of electrons per second

In electrical terminology, "current" specifically refers to the flow of electric charge, which is quantified as the measure of the number of electrons passing a point in a circuit per second. This is typically measured in amperes (A). Current is a crucial aspect of electrical circuits because it determines how much electric charge is available to perform work, such as lighting a bulb or powering a device. The other options relate to different electrical concepts. Voltage refers to the electric potential difference that drives current through a circuit. Resistance is a measure of how much a material opposes the flow of current. The capacity of a battery refers to the total amount of charge it can deliver over time, which is related to current but does not define what current is. Understanding that current is fundamentally about the movement of electrons helps clarify its role in electrical systems.