What is meant by positive charge and positive terminal of a cell ?

Question

Also why is it that the direction of current is taken opposite to that of the direction of electrons.

Answer 1

All batteries have a positive terminal (anode) and a negative terminal (cathode). A certain voltage is measured across the terminals, and current will flow from the positive to the negative, you're correct its in the opposite direction the electrons go, not sure why that's just convention.

Answer 2

Each cell has two polarities the positive and negative. It is made up of special chemicals so that one will have the surplus of electrons and the other will absorb the electrons. So if a metal conductor is connecting them electrons will flow through it, which is called electric current, The pole that absorbs electrons is called positive terminal.

When electricity was discovered it was thought that the current flows from positive to negative terminal. It was logical too. How can current flow from negative to positive. It has to flow from higher potential to a lower potential. But they could not give an explanation about the phenomenon of electric current. When a plausible explanation came it had already been accepted that the current flows from positive to negative. So it is imaginary that if electrons flow from negative to positive, the current flows from positive to negative. What is this current flow? There is no current flow. If electrons are flowing in one direction you should assume that the current is flowing in the other direction.

Answer 3

The current is the electron flow. The positive flow is in the direction of the electron flow . many of the old books thought it was opposite . They need to give the battery terminals a name .

Answer 4

Positive Charge:
The charge which has the deficiency of negative charge is termed as positive charge. It also has a tendency to attract the negative charge.

Positive Terminal:
That terminal of the battery, from where the current actually originates. A battery is shown, in circuit diagram, as a symbol of bars, one long and the other short. the long bar represents the positive terminal and the short bars, refer to the negative termonal.

Direction of current:
Actually and definetely, the dirction of the current is same as that of the positive charge. Since positive charge moves from positive terminal to negative terminal, hence this is the direction of current. Also, in electris physics, the electron is considered as the most significant part and the direction of flow of electrons i.e. the negative charge is opposite to that of the direction of flow of the positive charge. Thus, the direction of current is always expressed in terms of the direction of flow of electrons.

(I have tried my best to explain you in the common method. If still in vain contact me)

Answer 5

positive charge is charge which is similar in nature to the charge which is produced on a glass rod when it is rubbed with silk clothwhwen the cell is used in a circuit for producing current in it,in the circuit(outside the cell), the current(positive charge) flows from the positive terminal of the cell to the hegative terminal of the cell Actually, the electrons flow from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of the cell in the circuit. outside the cell

Answer 6

Greek philosopher, Thales of Miletus in 6 th century BC discovered that when amber is rubbed with fur,amber starts attracting hair,straw.The property acquired by amber after rubbing with fur was named ELECTRICITY, the amber rod was said to have acquired CHARGE.

C.F.Du Fay first identified two type of electricity,vitreous and resinous.

Benjamin Franklin named vitreous(glass) as POSITIVE and resinous(silk,amber) as NEGATIVE.

Charge on electron is NEGATIVE

Flow of electrons in metals constitutes electric current

Positive charge is the name given to the charge which is not similar to the charge on electrons .

Charge on protons is POSITIVE. Protons do not move in metals.

Conventional direction of electric current is opposite to direction of flow of electrons in conductors (metals)

Volta discovered that in chemical solutions one electrode became POSITIVE (anode) and other became NEGATIVE (cathode) When a metal wire was connected across the electrodes ,a potential difference developed and resulted in current flow in the wire

Electrons enter the metal wire from negative terminal, move through the wire, their energy is lost as they leave the wire and entered the positive electrode .

Inside the chemical ,electrons move from positive terminal to negative terminal and gain energy
.
CURRENT was discovered earlier than discovery of electrons and the fact that flow of electrons constitutes CURRENT.

Hence the CONVENTIAL DIRECTION and the opposite electron flow direction