Final answer:
Electric current is the rate at which electric charges pass a given point, measured in amperes. It can occur as either Direct Current (DC), which flows in one direction or Alternating Current (AC), which periodically reverses direction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rate at which electric charges pass a given point is electric current.
Electric current (I) is defined as the rate at which charge flows, expressed by the equation I = ∆Q/∆t where ∆Q is the amount of charge passing through an area in the time interval ∆t. The SI unit for current is the ampere (A), where 1 A = 1 C/s (coulomb per second). The direction of conventional current is taken as the direction in which positive charge would flow. In summary, electric current is essentially the movement of electric charge in a conductor.
There are two main types of current, which are Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC). DC is the flow of electric charge in only one direction with a constant voltage, which means the magnitude of the current remains constant. AC, on the other hand, is the flow of electric charge that reverses direction periodically, meaning its magnitude changes over time.