Amps measure the quantity of which electrical parameter?

• A. The amount of electrical current
• B. The electrical pressure
• C. The electrical resistance
• D. The electrical power

Answer: (A)

Amps measure how much electric current is flowing through a conductor. Current is the rate at which electric charges pass a point, so amperes quantify that flow—one ampere means one coulomb of charge passes per second. This is different from voltage, which is the pushing force behind the current and is measured in volts. It’s also different from resistance, which is what opposes the flow and is measured in ohms. Power, measured in watts, is the rate at which energy is transferred and equals voltage times current. A simple analogy: water in a pipe—amps are the gallons per second, voltage is the water pressure, resistance is the pipe’s narrowness, and watts are the energy delivered per second.