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These are the physical dimensions, since a current density is defined as the product of a charge density and the average velocity of the charges, namely

$$\mathbf{j} = \rho \mathbf{v} \qquad , \qquad \mathbf{k} = \sigma \mathbf{v} \qquad , \qquad \boldsymbol{\lambda} = \mu \mathbf{v} \qquad , \qquad$$

being here $\rho$, $\sigma$ and $\mu$ the volume, surface and line densities respectively.

Volume current density, $\mathbf{j} = \rho \mathbf{v}$, can be interpreted as the elementary charge flux across a surface. This interpretation comes from the integral balance equation for electric charge, that reads

$$0 = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \rho\mathbf{v} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}} = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \mathbf{j} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}}$$

for a volume $V$ fixed in space, stating electric charge conservation (you can't destroy or create out of nothing, as you can't destroy or create mass in classical mechanics).

Thus, dimensional analysis gives

$$[\rho] = \frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3}$$ $$[\mathbf{j}] = [\rho] [\mathbf{v}] =\frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3} \frac{[\text{length}]}{[\text{time}]} = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]^2}$$

while surface and linear density comes from one or two integration in space, and thus

$$[\mathbf{k}] = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]} \qquad , \qquad [\boldsymbol{\lambda}] = [\text{el. current}]$$

Volume current density, $\mathbf{j} = \rho \mathbf{v}$, can be interpreted as the elementary charge flux across a surface. This interpretation comes from the integral balance equation for electric charge, that reads

$$0 = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \rho\mathbf{v} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}} = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \mathbf{j} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}}$$

for a volume $V$ fixed in space, stating electric charge conservation (you can't destroy or create out of nothing, as you can't destroy or create mass in classical mechanics).

Thus, dimensional analysis gives

$$[\rho] = \frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3}$$ $$[\mathbf{j}] = [\rho] [\mathbf{v}] =\frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3} \frac{[\text{length}]}{[\text{time}]} = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]^2}$$

while surface and linear density comes from one or two integration in space, and thus

$$[\mathbf{k}] = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]} \qquad , \qquad [\boldsymbol{\lambda}] = [\text{el. current}]$$

These are the physical dimensions, since a current density is defined as the product of a charge density and the average velocity of the charges, namely

$$\mathbf{j} = \rho \mathbf{v} \qquad , \qquad \mathbf{k} = \sigma \mathbf{v} \qquad , \qquad \boldsymbol{\lambda} = \mu \mathbf{v} \qquad , \qquad$$

being here $\rho$, $\sigma$ and $\mu$ the volume, surface and line densities respectively.

Volume current density, $\mathbf{j} = \rho \mathbf{v}$, can be interpreted as the elementary charge flux across a surface. This interpretation comes from the integral balance equation for electric charge, that reads

$$0 = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \rho\mathbf{v} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}} = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \mathbf{j} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}}$$

for a volume $V$ fixed in space, stating electric charge conservation (you can't destroy or create out of nothing, as you can't destroy or create mass in classical mechanics).

Thus, dimensional analysis gives

$$[\rho] = \frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3}$$ $$[\mathbf{j}] = [\rho] [\mathbf{v}] =\frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3} \frac{[\text{length}]}{[\text{time}]} = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]^2}$$

while surface and linear density comes from one or two integration in space, and thus

$$[\mathbf{k}] = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]} \qquad , \qquad [\boldsymbol{\lambda}] = [\text{el. current}]$$

Source Link
basics
  • 12k
  • 2
  • 11
  • 42

Volume current density, $\mathbf{j} = \rho \mathbf{v}$, can be interpreted as the elementary charge flux across a surface. This interpretation comes from the integral balance equation for electric charge, that reads

$$0 = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \rho\mathbf{v} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}} = \dfrac{d}{dt}\int_{V} \rho + \oint_{\partial V} \mathbf{j} \cdot \hat{\mathbf{n}}$$

for a volume $V$ fixed in space, stating electric charge conservation (you can't destroy or create out of nothing, as you can't destroy or create mass in classical mechanics).

Thus, dimensional analysis gives

$$[\rho] = \frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3}$$ $$[\mathbf{j}] = [\rho] [\mathbf{v}] =\frac{[\text{charge}]}{[\text{length}]^3} \frac{[\text{length}]}{[\text{time}]} = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]^2}$$

while surface and linear density comes from one or two integration in space, and thus

$$[\mathbf{k}] = \frac{[\text{el. current}]}{[\text{length}]} \qquad , \qquad [\boldsymbol{\lambda}] = [\text{el. current}]$$