Why we should take the electric current direction opposite to the electron flow direction.
2007-02-02 23:00:13 · 3 answers · asked by preity 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Peter K is correct.
Before finding that electrons are the current carriers, it was thought that positive charges are the current carriers and the direction of positeve cahrges was taken to the direction of current.
Till today we take the direction of positive charges as the direction of current.
That is if electrons flow from one point to another point , then the current is said to be opposite to this direction.
2007-02-03 01:46:49 · answer #1 · answered by Pearlsawme 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was done for convenience and convention as far as I know. It's easier to think of things going from positive to negative.
It really doesn't matter which dorection it flows, or which direction YOU regard it to flow. In reality....electrical current is the flow of electrons. Electrons are negatively charged. Since they would not want to flow toward something that is also negatively charged (like-charged repel), they flow toward that which is more positively charged than what they are.
Therefore..like I said, in reality.....current *really* flows from negative to positive, but you can think of it the other way around and as long as you are consitent with it you can get away with it.
On the other hand, doing things this way can cause you troubles because the concept of 'hole' flow in solid state physics and the like does behave differently than their negative counterparts - the electrons.
2007-02-02 23:45:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because that is what they decided it was before they discovered that it was electrons that carry current.
2007-02-02 23:12:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋