How is electrical current primarily measured?

The measurement of electrical current is primarily done in amps, which is short for amperes. The ampere is defined as one coulomb of charge moving past a given point in a circuit in one second. This unit provides a direct way to quantify the flow of electric charge.

Understanding the nature of amps in the context of electricity is crucial. Electrical current is essentially the flow of electrons, and measuring this flow allows for important calculations regarding circuit design and safety.

In contrast, volts (the unit of measurement for electric potential), ohms (the unit for electrical resistance), and watts (which measure power) serve different functions within electrical circuits. While they are all integral to electrical engineering and physics, it is the ampere that directly indicates the amount of current flowing through a conductor.