Why do we refer charge in positive?

Question

The definition of potential at a point is: the work done in briniging a unit positivecharge from infinity to a point in the electric field

When it is well established that positive ions are created due to the loss of electrons and ions do not move then why do we follow the wrong word ?

One possible cause may be that we still follow the conventional method. But if so, why? can't we follow the modern and correct words ?

Answer 1

The conventions of positive and negative charge were established before anyone had discovered the nature of the actual particles that carried the charge.

From early experiments, it was clear that there was "something" called charge, and that there were two varieties of it, and that like charges repelled, and that unlike charges attracted. Certain processes produced variety "A", and certain other processes produced variety "B". It was mathematically convenient to call one variety "positive" and the other "negative", but the mathematics made the choice completely arbitrary; so they arbitrarily decided to label variety "A" as "positive", and variety "B" as "negative." Those labels were used in all subsequent work with electricity.

Only _later_ was it discovered that the particles that actually moved through wires (i.e. electrons) were of variety "B", and therefore were "negative". This meant that the direction of the current was actully opposite of the direction of the particles themselves! However, by that time all the equations were firmly in place, and it was too late to change the signs on all of them.

Answer 2

There is nothing incorrect in the definition of potential.
What makes you think that ions do not move. It seems you are confused by some write up about the structures of metals where in some contex, it might have been explained that the outermost electrons are free to move in the entire intervening space in the volume occupied by the piece of metal, but the ions of metals left behind do not move. Ions in the electrolyte and gaseous ions do move long distance. You also seem to have been confused that ions are always positive. Ions can be negative as well. Cl - ions in NaCl solution are negative ions.
Moreover, in the definition, you don't have to actually move the positive charge, but just calculate the work that will be required to be done imagining it to be moving fom infinity to that point. It is just a mathematical calculation to be done and obviously you cannot actually do it since you have to start from infinity where you cannot reach.
You can have positive cahrge on gold-leaf electroscope and you can move it too.

Answer 3

The conventions of positive and negative charge were established before anyone had discovered the nature of the actual particles that carried the charge.

From early experiments, it was clear that there was "something" called charge, and that there were two varieties of it, and that like charges repelled, and that unlike charges attracted. Certain processes produced variety "A", and certain other processes produced variety "B". It was mathematically convenient to call one variety "positive" and the other "negative", but the mathematics made the choice completely arbitrary; so they arbitrarily decided to label variety "A" as "positive", and variety "B" as "negative." Those labels were used in all subsequent work with electricity.

Only _later_ was it discovered that the particles that actually moved through wires (i.e. electrons) were of variety "B", and therefore were "negative". This meant that the direction of the current was actully opposite of the direction of the particles themselves! However, by that time all the equations were firmly in place, and it was too late to change the signs on all of them

Answer 4

Because initially everyone believed that charge was positive and that positive charge flowed from positive to negative potential.

But later experiments proved that charge is negative ie electrons, and that electrons flow from negative to positive terminal in circuit, and we assume that they flow from positive to negative between the terminals to respect the old convention.

Answer 5

The greater electronegative oxygen atom will attraction to greater electrons to the area surrounding it inflicting the area to be greater destructive than the areas around the hydrogen atoms. This create a dipole 2d on the molecule.

Answer 6

Thats Simple! Because ground is negative.Jis4Jenius Jerald.