Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter and is measured in Coulombs (C). To calculate the amount of electric charge transferred in any process, you use the formula:
where:
- \( Q \) is the electric charge in Coulombs,
- \( I \) is the current in Amperes,
- \( t \) is the time in seconds.
This formula is based on the relationship that charge is equal to the product of current (flow of electric charge) and the time the current flows.
Essentially, if you have a steady flow of current that lasts for a particular duration, this formula gives you the total electric charge transferred during that time period. For instance, if a 25,000 Ampere current flows for 0.04 seconds, the charge transferred is \( 25,000 \times 0.04 = 1,000 \) Coulombs.