Because this convention was defined before the electron was discovered. Benjamin Franklin was experimenting with static electricity in the mid 1700's and decided that the charge on a glass rod was "positive".
In the late 1800's experimenters were able to make electricity flow in a vacuum (cathode rays) and discovered that the current was carried by negatively charged particles, which were eventually named "electrons".
2006-06-19 03:49:13
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answer #1
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answered by injanier 7
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Current moves because some electrons are so loosely bonded to their nucleus that they are capable of leaving the atom towards a lower energy. In an electrical systems case, an excess of atoms with "room to spare" for electrons will attract the electrons. The electrons are simply attempting to reach a lower energy. Being in a 'negative' pole means they are not at the lowest energies, something they like, so they travel towards areas of lower energy which are the atoms capable of capturing electrons into lower energies.
2006-06-18 22:14:06
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Electricity actualy moves from neg to positive. But the nods on a battery were named before they knew that electrons move that way. The way electrons move is the way electricity moves because electrisity is the movement of electrons.
So to be clear. When you use a battery the electricity moves from the negative side to the positive side.
2006-06-18 21:54:55
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answer #3
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answered by Dee 4
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Because current electrical theory considers electrical current to be the movement of holes or hole flow. A hole believe it or not is nothing more than the space vacated by an electron as it moves to the area of greatest electrical potential.
2006-06-18 21:54:03
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answer #4
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answered by Chad N 2
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Thats becouse of the conventional (traditional) direction of electric current:
1) As the discovery of current electricity precedes the discovery of electrons, the electric current is assumed to consist of positive charges flowing from positive to negative terminal of the conductor
2) therfore the direction of electric current through the external circuit is from positive pole to negative pole of the battery, this direction is adopted in all the electric circuits
2006-06-19 11:06:07
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answer #5
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answered by Kevin 5
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The current is not something that moves! The only things moving in a wire are electrons. But the direction of the current is just a supposition and it is not real because we suppose that the Protons are moving in the wire, not electrons(for making the rules easier!)
2006-06-18 21:59:44
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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see there is something huge-unfold as waft velocity u have a organic doubt that makes me belive ur good at physics they actually cant pass at velocity of sunshine thats purely ur mind's eye while u positioned an consumer-friendly battery acrossa resistance..the electrons are speeded up. Now electric resistance of the cord could desire to impede this acceleration. In a slow state because of the acceleration of battery and easily by resistance of cord the electrons pass at a finite velocity. As u could desire to already be guessing that this velocity is a functionality of the two utilized voltage and nature of cloth (resistivity and not resistance) i might propose u to do a yahoo/google seek into waft velocity to discover the surprising formulation for waft velocity. And this term isn't something unique u would be recommended approximately it in some unspecified time interior the destiny in ur existence if u pursue physics.
2016-12-08 10:26:34
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answer #7
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answered by ? 3
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In military electronic training they teach you that electricity moves from negative to positive.
2006-06-18 21:53:40
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answer #8
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answered by Hawk996 6
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the conventional flow (electricity flow) assumes the flow of holes, which is opposite to the the flow of the electrons
2006-06-18 21:53:50
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answer #9
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answered by cessa 2
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Like charges repel; Opposite charges attract.
Positive potential means poaitivley charged. Therefore positive charges must be repelled by positive potential and positive charges must flow from positive potential to negative potential.
The direction of current (flow of positive charges) is from positive to negative potential.
Similarly negative potential means negatively charged and negative charges must be repelled by negative potential and negative charges must flow from negative potential to positive potential. The flow of negative charges is from negative potential to positive potential.
Since we have taken the flow of positive charges as current's direction, the flow of negative charges must be opposite to our conventional current .
Since electrons are negatively charged particles, the flow of electrons are opposite to our conventional current and flows from negative potential to positive potential.
In a circuit the current is actually due to the flow of electrons. Before finding this fact, it was thought that only posiive charges flow in a circuit and hence the current was thought to be from positive to negative potential.
After finding this we have not changed the definition of the direction of current as the other was well established in pracitce.
Thus even today we take the direction of current as from positive to negative as if the current is due to positive charges while in reality electrons flow from negative potential to positive potential. We can call this current as electron current which is opposite to our conventional current.
2006-06-18 23:04:40
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answer #10
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answered by Pearlsawme 7
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