What does amperage measure?

What does amperage measure?

• A. The pressure of the current
• B. The strength of the current
• C. The resistance
• D. The total power

Answer: (B)

Amperage measures the strength of the current—the rate at which electric charges flow through a circuit. In welding, more amperage means more charges flowing per second, which increases the heat in the arc. Voltage, not amperage, is the pressure that pushes current through the circuit. Resistance is the property of a material that opposes current flow, and power depends on both voltage and current (P = IV), so amperage alone does not describe total power.

Amperage measures the strength of the current—the rate at which electric charges flow through a circuit. In welding, more amperage means more charges flowing per second, which increases the heat in the arc.

Voltage, not amperage, is the pressure that pushes current through the circuit. Resistance is the property of a material that opposes current flow, and power depends on both voltage and current (P = IV), so amperage alone does not describe total power.