Hamburger Menu

Abamperes explained

The abampere is a unit of electric current in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) electromagnetic system of units. Although not commonly used today, the abampere represents a large amount of electric current, where 1 abampere equals 10 amperes in the SI system. The abampere is also known as the biot or EMU of current (electromagnetic unit of current).

Symbol

The symbol for abampere is abA. This symbol is used in scientific texts when referring to electric current measured in the CGS electromagnetic system.

Differences Between Abampere and Ampere

While the ampere is the standard SI unit of electric current, the abampere is part of the older CGS electromagnetic system. The key difference is their scale: 1 abampere equals 10 amperes. The CGS system is mostly of historical and academic interest today, while the ampere is universally used in modern practical applications.

Applications of the Abampere

The abampere is largely a historical unit, and it's rarely used in modern electrical engineering. However, it still appears in scientific literature, particularly when discussing electromagnetic theories formulated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Origin of the Abampere

The abampere was introduced as part of the CGS electromagnetic system in the late 19th century to simplify electromagnetic equations. The unit is also known as the Biot, in honor of French physicist Jean-Baptiste Biot, who made significant contributions to the field of electromagnetism.