The centiampere measures an electric current of 0.01 amperes, represented by the symbol cA. While mathematically valid within the SI system, it is rarely used in practical engineering or electronics. Standard practice dictates stepping directly from amperes to milliamperes for better alignment with engineering notation and standard test equipment displays.
Heard on the job
The specification sheet lists the maximum leakage current as 5 centiamperes.
Insider tip
You will almost never see this unit on a multimeter or schematic, as engineers strongly prefer 10 milliamps over 1 centiampere.
Also heard as
- cA
- centiamp