Читать книгу Electroanalytical Chemistry - Gary A. Mabbott - Страница 14

Current describes the movement of charge. It is the measure of the rate of change in charge moving past a specific observation point.

(1.5)

where Q is the charge in coulombs and time, t, is in seconds. Current has the units of coulombs per second or amperes.

(1.6)

If one were to make the analogy of an electrical circuit with a river, then the current in amperes or coulombs per second parallels the volume flow rate of the river in gallons per second. The potential energy difference or voltage that is associated with any given component (such as an electrode in an electrochemical experiment) in the electrical circuit, is analogous to the energy available to do work per gallon of water as it drops over a waterfall. Current describes the rate of charge moving (amount per unit of time) and potential is a measure of the energy per unit charge in moving between two points.