milliampères

Milliampère, abbreviated mA, is the SI unit of electric current equal to one thousandth of an ampere. The prefix milli- denotes division by 1000, so 1 mA = 0.001 A. The unit is named for convenient expression of small currents in electronics.

In practical terms, milliampères are commonly used to describe currents in circuits and devices. Typical values include a few milliamperes for microcontroller input/output operations, and tens of milliamperes for LED indicators. USB ports are often specified in the hundreds of milliamperes, with higher-power configurations available through additional standards. Battery capacities are frequently represented in milliampere-hours (mAh), which relate to the current drawn over time.

Measuring current in milliamperes is usually done with an ammeter or a multimeter set to current mode. The instrument must be connected in series with the circuit so that all the current flows through it. When converting between units, remember that 1 A = 1000 mA and 1 mA = 1000 µA.

The milliampère is a derived unit within the SI system and is widely used across electronics, instrumentation, and consumer devices. In French-language contexts, the unit is written as milliampère (plural milliampères) with the symbol mA, reflecting the standard naming conventions for SI prefixes and units.