☙

abampere

The unit of electric current in the centimeter-gram-second electromagnetic system of units. Symbol, abA. One abampere is the amount of current that, if maintained in two straight, infinitely long parallel conductors placed 1 centimeter apart in a vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force of 2 dynes per centimeter of length. One abampere = 10 amperes.

According to the current national standard in the United States¹, the abampere is not to be used. The ampere should be used instead.

1. IEEE/ASTM SI 10™-2002.
American National Standard for Use of the International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System.
New York: IEEE, 30 December 2002.

See Section 3.3.3.

sources

For an excellent history of the development of the electric and magnetic units up to 1913, see U. S. Bureau of Standards Circular 60.