A conductor carries a current of 3 mA. The number of electrons passing through it in 1 minute is about

Options

A. `10^(18)`
B. `10^(20)`
C. `10^(23)`
D. `10^(25)`

Explanation

To solve the problem of finding the number of electrons passing through a conductor carrying a current of 3 mA in 1 minute, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Convert Current to Amperes**:
The current given is 3 mA (milliAmperes). We need to convert this to Amperes.
\[ I = 3 \text{ mA} = 3 \times 10^{-3} \text{ A} \]

**Hint**: Remember that 1 mA = \(10^{-3}\) A.

2. **Convert Time to Seconds**:
The time given is 1 minute. We need to convert this to seconds.
\[ T = 1 \text{ minute} = 60 \text{ seconds} \]

**Hint**: There are 60 seconds in a minute.

3. **Use the Formula for Current**:
The formula for current (I) is given by:
\[ I = \frac{Q}{T} \]
where \(Q\) is the total charge that flows through the conductor in time \(T\).

4. **Calculate Total Charge (Q)**:
Rearranging the formula gives us:
\[ Q = I \times T \]
Substituting the values we have:
\[ Q = (3 \times 10^{-3} \text{ A}) \times (60 \text{ s}) = 0.18 \text{ C} \]

**Hint**: Multiply the current by the time to find the total charge.

5. **Calculate the Number of Electrons (N)**:
The charge of a single electron (e) is approximately \(1.6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C}\). The number of electrons can be calculated using:
\[ N = \frac{Q}{e} \]
Substituting the values:
\[ N = \frac{0.18 \text{ C}}{1.6 \times 10^{-19} \text{ C/electron}} \approx 1.125 \times 10^{18} \text{ electrons} \]

**Hint**: Divide the total charge by the charge of a single electron to find the number of electrons.

6. **Final Result**:
Rounding \(1.125 \times 10^{18}\) gives approximately \(10^{18}\) electrons.

### Conclusion:
The number of electrons passing through the conductor in 1 minute is about \(10^{18}\).