Define current. Is it a scalar quantity or a
vector quantity ? What is meant by the
conventional direction of current ?
Answers
Answer:
Electric current through an area is the rate of transfer of charge from one side of area to the other. The SI unit of electric current is amphere.
Explanation:
Electric current has direction as well as magnitude but it is not a vector quantity. It does not follow vector addition. The quantities which have direction as well as magnitude but do not follow vector addition are called as tensor quantities. Hence electric current is a tensor.
The direction of conventional current opposite to the flow of electrons.
Electric current is the rate of flow of charge flowing across a point
Despite having both magnitude and direction current is considered to be a scalar quantity
Electrons flow from the negative terminal of the power source to the positive terminal but since electrons were not known when the phenomenon of electricity was discovered electricity was believed to be a flow of electrons in the opposite direction hence the direction of current is conventionally taken opposite to the direction of electrons which is known as conventional current