Find the electric current in amperes when an electric charge of 1200 coulomb passes through a conductor uniformly in 6 seconds.

Introduction / Context:

Electric current measures how much electric charge flows through a conductor per unit time. This is a fundamental idea in basic electricity and circuits. The question provides a total charge and a time interval and asks you to calculate the current in amperes using the definition formula.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Total charge Q flowing through the conductor is 1200 coulomb.
• Time t taken for this charge to pass is 6 seconds.
• The current is steady and uniform during this time.
• We need the current I in ampere.

Concept / Approach:

By definition, electric current I is the rate of flow of charge. Mathematically, I = Q / t, where Q is the total charge that flows in time t. Substituting the provided values directly into this formula gives the answer. The units are consistent: coulomb divided by second gives ampere, the SI unit of current.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

We can perform a rough check. If 600 coulomb flowed in 6 seconds, the current would be 100 ampere. Because the actual charge is 1200 coulomb, which is twice 600, the current should be twice 100 ampere, that is 200 ampere. This matches our detailed calculation and confirms the result.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A: 7200 A would correspond to 1200 coulomb in only 0.166 second, not 6 seconds, so it is not correct for this data.

Option C: 100 A would be correct if Q were 600 coulomb instead of 1200 coulomb, so it is too small.

Option D: 20 A is an order of magnitude smaller than the correct value and does not satisfy the formula I = Q / t when Q = 1200 coulomb and t = 6 second.

Common Pitfalls:

Students sometimes confuse the formula and use I = t / Q by mistake or forget to divide properly. Another common error is mishandling units, but here the units are already in SI form, coulomb and second. Always remember that current is charge per unit time, so the charge goes in the numerator and time in the denominator.

Final Answer:

The electric current is 200 A.