Coulombs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A unit of electric charge in the International System of Units, defined as the amount of charge transported by a constant current of one ampere in one second
2. The measure of electric charge equivalent to one ampere flowing for one second, often used in calculations involving electrical systems
3. A fundamental unit representing the quantity of electricity, allowing for the assessment of charge in circuits and electrostatic applications

Etymology: The plural "coulombs" is simply the form of "coulomb," the unit of electric charge, so the story is that of the unit's name. It honours Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, a French physicist whose experiments in the 1780s established that electrical charges attract or repel in proportion to the inverse square of the distance between them, a relationship now called Coulomb's law. The unit was named after him in his honour, and the name passed into English from French, where it appeared as "coulomb." Because the word is a surname turned into a unit, it follows the same pattern as other units named for scientists, such as the ampere, volt and watt. Each time the unit is counted, the plural simply adds an "s," so one coulomb and several coulombs both point back to the same French physicist.