The Origin of "I" for Electrical Current
Kirt's Cogitations™ #134

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The Origin of "I" for Electrical Current

Here's an assignment for engineering new grads and technicians. Go ask your favorite engineer why the letter "I" is used as a symbol for current. Don't give him (or her) too much grief for not knowing - the vast majority of engineers I asked didn't know.

The answer: Intensity, since current was originally thought of as being how intense or concentrated the electron flow is in a circuit.

 

 

Posted January 12, 2008