# current density

Current density (J) is a measure of the number of charge carriers in a conductor. By definition, it is the current in amperes (A) that passes through a given conductor cross-section (A).

If the conductor cross-section becomes larger, the current density decreases; if the conductor cross-section becomes smaller, the current density increases because the same current flows through a smaller cross-section. The current density is thus calculated from the ratio of the current intensity in amperes (A) to the conductor cross-section in square millimeters.

This relationship applies to direct current and low- frequency alternating current, where the distribution of charge carriers is uniform. As soon as alternating current has a low frequency, such as the mains frequency, the skin effect occurs, which presses the current overproportionally to the conductor surface and thus ensures a non-uniform distribution.

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 Englisch: current density Updated at: 07.04.2015 #Words: 134 Links: density, conductor, current, direct current (DC), frequency (f) Translations: DE Sharing: