What is the SI unit of electric charge and its symbol?

What is the SI unit of electric charge and its symbol?

• A. Volt (V)
• B. Ampere (A)
• C. Joule (J)
• D. Coulomb (C)

Answer: (D)

The concept being tested is the unit used to measure electric charge. The SI unit for electric charge is the coulomb, symbol C. A coulomb represents the amount of charge transferred by a constant current of one ampere flowing for one second, since Q = I × t. So, 1 A for 1 s equals 1 C. It’s also helpful to note that a single electron carries a tiny amount of charge (about 1.6 × 10^-19 C), so many electrons add up to one coulomb. The other options relate to different physical quantities: the volt measures electric potential difference, the ampere measures current, and the joule measures energy. Thus, the coulomb is the correct unit of electric charge.

The concept being tested is the unit used to measure electric charge. The SI unit for electric charge is the coulomb, symbol C. A coulomb represents the amount of charge transferred by a constant current of one ampere flowing for one second, since Q = I × t. So, 1 A for 1 s equals 1 C. It’s also helpful to note that a single electron carries a tiny amount of charge (about 1.6 × 10^-19 C), so many electrons add up to one coulomb. The other options relate to different physical quantities: the volt measures electric potential difference, the ampere measures current, and the joule measures energy. Thus, the coulomb is the correct unit of electric charge.