Download Current as Basic Physical Unit – ESSAY modified

Shahrul Azhar, 1
Umair Shahrul Azhar
Mr Chee Kieng Wong
Electricity
14th September 2014
Impacts of Current being standardized as SI unit
This essay will explain the scientific reason of using current as a basic physical unit.
This essay will also include the impacts of civilization due to the creation and application of
SI units in the real world, specifically of which impacts social factors. This essay will include
the advantages and limitations of standardizing current as a basic physical unit. The essay
will cover the impacts of current applying current as a physical unit, and point out and
evaluate the most significant factor. The essay will cover how standardizing current as a
physical unit impacts human understanding in the real world. In this essay I will argue that
although Standardising current as a physical unit have some limitations, there are more
significant advantages.
Amp is the unit of current, which is the amount of electric charge passing through a
point over time. One Amp would mean 1 coulomb per second. What is a coulomb? A
coulomb is a number that is considered a specific amount or pack of charge or electrons. 1
coulomb rounded of to 4 significant figures is 6 241 000 or around 6.241 * 10^18 electrons.
Hence the number of packets of electrons (1 coulomb) passing through a point over time in
seconds on a circuit or medium determines the number of Amps. Current can be calculated
by using the general formula I = V/R, where as V is Voltage in volts, R is resistance in ohms
and I is current in amps. The formal meaning of current is ”a constant current, which
maintains in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length of negligible circular cross
section and placed one meter apart in a vacuum.” Current shows packets of electrons that
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pass through one point by using a specific number (6.241*10^18) of electrons as 1 packet
known as 1 coulomb. This makes calculating amount of charge much more convenient,
which is applied to the purpose of SI units, to be understood worldwide (“How Voltage,
Current, and Resistance Relate”)(“Measuring Current”)(“The Ampere”)(“Electric
Current”).
The charge of an electron is small, as it is 1.6 * 10^-19 coulombs. Electric current is a
base unit quantity and like all SI units, amps give a sense of numerical data for measuring the
current by giving quantity to it. The unit of current is able to express magnitude or quantity of
important natural phenomena’s. The unit Amp is used to allow a more convenient method of
accounting charge flow over time. The advantage of having current being Si Unit is the
convenience of calculating very small and very big units by converting them into standard
form, which is the unit multiplied or divide powers of 10. Si unit of current allows lack of
complication and uncertainty between the use of words and symbols. SI units are created for
the purpose of creating a worldwide or internationally understood method of measurement,
which applies to creation of current as Si unit. Current can be used to make old methods of
measurements such as foot, inches etc. to become more practical of use today. It is important
for power stations to transport the amount of current that is adequate for specific electrical
appliances. If an appliance for example requires 2 amps to activate, but the current supplied
to it is for example 1 amp, the appliance wont be able to function, or it may function very
inefficiently as it does not reach the demand of coulombs every second. The power stations
must allow flow of current through power grids and stabilise the amount of current and
voltage required for house or home appliances (“International System of Units”)(“The
Ampere”)(“Electric Current”) (“Advantages of SI Units”).
The only flaw and disadvantage to using SI units or metric system is that it is
inconvenient when working with fractions, where at times the conversion of other non SI
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units that are still in use in the world today may bot give a whole number conversion result.
For example 1/6 of a meter is approximately 167 millimetres and 1/3 kilogram is
approximately 333 grams. However the unit of current in amps are used worldwide for any
metric system other than SI unit system. The unit of electrical current can be used in all
nations. One of the only worldwide known units is unit of electrical current in amps. The
problem that ma impose Current being used as SI units is the lack of acknowledgement of
different countries of using amps and instead the other metric systems may refer to amps
much differently as it is in SI units (Jose Vazquez)(Kristine Tucker) (“Why Do Amps
Matter?”)
Current can be generated with the use of generators, which consist of the process
called electromagnetic induction; one of the methods of generating current is by, moving a
magnetic into or out of a metal coil. By doing this, the voltage is induced across one end of
the coil. If the coil is part of a complete circuit, the current will be induced in the circuit. My
repeating the process of moving the magnetic field in and out of the coil continuously, an
alternating current is generated. However this procedure is not practical in to generate large
amounts of electricity. Spinning the coils of wire in the magnetic field or spin a magnet with
in a coil can be conducted as a modified version of this process. Even bicycles can be used
for this process by using the movement of the wheel to generate current, which happens in a
dynamo attached to the bike, as the wheel rubs against the tyre to make the magnet turn
around coil wire, the current can be used for a simple bike light as a simple circuit. As he
faster the bike is cycled the brighter the light (“Why Do Amps Matter?”)(“Generating
Electricity”).
Si units correlate to social aspects as they are used globally to show and calculate
measurement. SI units are made to be as accurate as possible and at the same time easy to
understand by global population despite national backgrounds. The SI units are available for
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people worldwide, which can be used for the people of occupations, or jobs that requires the
use of measurement units, which can be used in many ways for many reasons such as the use
of scientific experimental results of current efficiency development for power stations.
Results for such occasions are to be accurate and conveniently able to communicate such
results anywhere in the world for other users for the specific purpose. The jobs that use
complex metrology In terms of current in SI are such as engineers, hardware store workers,
architects and many more including complex uses of basic units of SI units and its
derivatives.
SI unit of current can be used for many significant purposes used by many people,
which is included in many real world jobs and studies. Current as an SI unit allows much
more convenience in calculating current. The unit of current impacts society in a positive
manner as it is used as a standard that can be used and understood by the world and not
complicate units and their contexts. Although the SI units in general may not be used in all
countries of the world, the SI unit of current is used for all national matric systems. The use
of current allows a much better method of calculating the amount of charged particles in a
medium over time. In other words of conclusion, the impacts of Current being standardized
as an SI unit is most significant in terms of convenient in many aspects. Therefore
Advantages of current standardized as SI unit outweigh the disadvantages.
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Work Cited
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“Measuring Current. "Measuring Current." Power Up”. Power Up, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
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