Magnitude (amperage)
This is a compilation of currents of different magnitudes for comparison purposes. The information is often to be understood as “typical values”; the converted values are rounded.
Basic unit of the current intensity in the International System of Units is 1 ampere ( unit symbol A ), the symbols I .
Microamps and less
- 1.6 · 10 −19 A = 0.16 aA - 1 electron per second ≈ dark counting rate of cooled photomultiplier
- 3 · 10 −15 A = 3 fA - leakage current of a DRAM memory cell
- 1 · 10 −13 A = 100 fA - weakest currents that can still be used in the scanning tunneling microscope (status 2001)
- 1 · 10 −12 A = 1 pA - current in an ion channel
- 5 x 10 -9 to 5 × 10 -7 A = 5 to 500 nA - reverse current of a silicon - diode at room temperature
- 1 × 10 -5 to 5 × 10 -4 A = 10 to 500 microamps - reverse current of a germanium - diode
- 1 × 10 -5 A = 10 uA - LCD - quartz ; Photocell
Milliamps to amps
- a few 10 −3 to 5 · 10 −1 A = a few mA to 500 mA - direct current electrotherapy ( e.g. Stangerbad , iontophoresis )
- 1 · 10 −2 A = 10 mA - effect on humans: muscle contraction , i. H. letting go of the power source becomes impossible
- 2 · 10 −2 A = 20 mA - wired light emitting diode
- 3 · 10 −2 to 8.5 · 10 −2 A = 30 to 85 mA - Effect on humans: Ventricular fibrillation with alternating current and one second exposure
- 350 mA - 1500 mA SMD light-emitting diode (single)
- 4.3 10 −1 A = 430 mA - incandescent lamp (100 W in 230 V operation)
- 5.8 · 10 −1 A = 580 mA - proton current in a beam of the Large Hadron Collider
- 1 · 10 0 A = 1 A - electric eel
- up to 3 · 10 0 A = up to 3 A - diathermy (high-frequency alternating current, 10 6 Hz)
- 5 · 10 0 to 7 · 10 0 A = 5 to 7 A - electric chair
- 1 · 10 1 A = 10 A - typical fan heater in the household in 230 V operation
- 1.6 · 10 1 A = 16 A - standard household fuse
- 5 · 10 1 A = 50 A - electric rays
- 1.5 · 10 2 A = 150 A - electric motor
- 4 · 10 2 A = 400 A - magnetic field generating coils in the magnetic resonance tomograph
- 5 · 10 2 A = 500 A - electric welding
Kiloamps and more
- some 10 2 to some 10 3 A = a few hundred to a few thousand A - overhead line
- 1 · 10 3 A = 1 kA - Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)
- 1.4 · 10 3 A = 1.4 kA - standard overhead contact line of a German railway (15 kV AC)
- up to 8 · 10 3 A = up to 8 kA - thyristor
- 1.2 · 10 4 A = 12 kA - superconducting cables to the magnets of the Large Hadron Collider
- up to 2 · 10 4 A = up to 20 kA - conventional electromagnet for scientific measurements at up to 19 Tesla in continuous operation
- up to 2.2 · 10 4 A = up to 22 kA - electric arc furnace
- 3 · 10 4 A = 30 kA - generator current in a large power plant
- up to 3 · 10 5 A = up to 300 kA - lightning
- 3 · 10 5 to 10 6 A = 0.3 to 1.0 MA - melt electrolysis in aluminum production.
- some 10 6 A = some MA - Magnetospheric ring current around the earth
- 5 · 10 6 A = 5 MA - current between Jupiter and its moon Io
- 1.5 · 10 7 A = 15 MA - plasma current in ITER (planned)
- 2 · 10 7 A = 20 MA - Z machine (very short term)
- 10 11 A = 100 GA - solar flare
- 10 12 A = 1 TA - photosphere
- 10 19 A = 10 EA - Active galactic core
- 10 20 A = 100 EA - cosmic string in theory