Quantitatively measuring the static charge from Coulomb’s Law is more difficult than electronically counting charge carriers in a current flow, or measuring the magnetic force between two wires resulting from a standard current. The ampere is chosen as the standard, because it’s easier to verify by experiment and more precise than finding the charge in coulombs…….imho. Robert Another absolute ly true Robert. Especially was I concerned about the definition concerning two wires, which as a definition is fine, but a practical model no. Which prompts me to ask you and any other here, a question that has kept me thinking for some years. If a single conductor is enclosed in an iron cylinder, such that all the field is enclosed within the magnetic material. will the motive force of external fields still apply? Like as with the twin conductors of the above definition, for example.. Philip.