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It doesn't always do so, but it does, in the case of an electron current.
"Conventional current" is, by definition, the equivalent of a flow of positive electric charge. So, if a current consists of positive carriers (e.g., holes, or positive ions), the conventional current flows in the same direction as the current carriers. On the other hand, if the current consists of negative carriers (like electrons - the most common carrier for electric current), the electrons flow in one direction, but the conventional (positive, fictitious you might say) current flows in the other direction.
On a macroscopic scale, it is often useful to forget about the actual current carriers; for example, an electron current flowing to the left, and a current of positive ions flowing to the right, will have the same effect on a magnetic field.
It doesn't always do so, but it does, in the case of an electron current.
"Conventional current" is, by definition, the equivalent of a flow of positive electric charge. So, if a current consists of positive carriers (e.g., holes, or positive ions), the conventional current flows in the same direction as the current carriers. On the other hand, if the current consists of negative carriers (like electrons - the most common carrier for electric current), the electrons flow in one direction, but the conventional (positive, fictitious you might say) current flows in the other direction.
On a macroscopic scale, it is often useful to forget about the actual current carriers; for example, an electron current flowing to the left, and a current of positive ions flowing to the right, will have the same effect on a magnetic field.
It doesn't always do so, but it does, in the case of an electron current.
"Conventional current" is, by definition, the equivalent of a flow of positive electric charge. So, if a current consists of positive carriers (e.g., holes, or positive ions), the conventional current flows in the same direction as the current carriers. On the other hand, if the current consists of negative carriers (like electrons - the most common carrier for electric current), the electrons flow in one direction, but the conventional (positive, fictitious you might say) current flows in the other direction.
On a macroscopic scale, it is often useful to forget about the actual current carriers; for example, an electron current flowing to the left, and a current of positive ions flowing to the right, will have the same effect on a magnetic field.
It doesn't always do so, but it does, in the case of an electron current.
"Conventional current" is, by definition, the equivalent of a flow of positive electric charge. So, if a current consists of positive carriers (e.g., holes, or positive ions), the conventional current flows in the same direction as the current carriers. On the other hand, if the current consists of negative carriers (like electrons - the most common carrier for electric current), the electrons flow in one direction, but the conventional (positive, fictitious you might say) current flows in the other direction.
On a macroscopic scale, it is often useful to forget about the actual current carriers; for example, an electron current flowing to the left, and a current of positive ions flowing to the right, will have the same effect on a magnetic field.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoBefore the structure of the atom was understood, scientists such as Benjamin Franklin believed that an electric current was a flow of some sort of mysterious 'fluid' that moved from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. The higher pressure was naturally considered to be 'positive' pressure and the lower pressure was considered to be 'negative pressure'. So, for many years, current was believed to travel from positive to negative, but it had nothing to do with 'a flow of positive charge carriers' because no-one then knew about the existence of 'charge carriers'.
Even though we now know that (in metallic conductors, anyway) that current is a flow of free electrons from negative to positive, many textbooks still show current as flowing from positive to negative! To differentiate between the two current directions, we use the terms 'electron flow', and 'conventional (or 'Franklinian') flow'.
Another way of looking at it is to realise that current 'flows' along the electric field that exists between two charges. By convention, the positive charge is considered to be at the higher potential. So it would make sense to then consider the current to flow from the higher potential (+) to the lower potential (-). But 'current', used in this sense (i.e. 'conventional current'), simply represents nothing more than a 'direction', and what actually 'flows' (electric charges or Franklin's mysterious 'fluid') is irrelevant.
Establishing a direction for current is important, because it helps us establish 'rules' which then determine the direction of magnetic fields. It really makes no difference whether we use 'electron flow' or 'conventional flow', because there are rules for both, but it is important that we are consistent in our choice of current direction.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIt doesn't always do so, but it does, in the case of an electron current.
"Conventional current" is, by definition, the equivalent of a flow of positive electric charge. So, if a current consists of positive carriers (e.g., holes, or positive ions), the conventional current flows in the same direction as the current carriers. On the other hand, if the current consists of negative carriers (like electrons - the most common carrier for electric current), the electrons flow in one direction, but the conventional (positive, fictitious you might say) current flows in the other direction.
On a macroscopic scale, it is often useful to forget about the actual current carriers; for example, an electron current flowing to the left, and a current of positive ions flowing to the right, will have the same effect on a magnetic field.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago"Conventional current" is the equivalent current of (usually) ficticious positive charges. If the electron current (negative charges) goes in one direction, the conventional current (of positive charges) goes in the opposite direction.
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What is the relationship between the direction of current and direction of electron flow in a current-carrying wire?
because the current is actually the flow of electrons.
How does the flow of current within the simple cell differ from that in a copper wire?
One terminal of a cell or battery is positive, while the other is negative. It is convenient to think of current as flowing from positive to negative. This is called conventional current. Current arrows in circuit diagrams always point in the conventional direction. However, you should be aware that this is the direction of flow for a positively-chargedparticle.In a copper wire, the charge carriers are electrons. Electrons are negatively-charged and therefore flow from negative to positive. This means that electron flow is opposite in direction to conventional current.
What is the direction of current due to flow of electrons if it is not conventional current?
Electron flow is from negative to positive. Conventional current flow is from positive to negative.
How is it possible for positive charge to drift through the conductor since it is confined in the nucleus?
An antire ion (charged atom) can move through a liquid or gas. In many other cases, the movement of positive charges is ficticious ("conventional current"), since for many purposes, the movement of electrons in one direction is equivalent to the movement of the conventional current (ficticious current of positive charge) in the opposite direction.
What direction does current flown an ac circuit?
We have suppose the current flow in opposite to the direction of flow of electron.AnswerA.C. current reverses direction every half-cycle.
In which direction does conventional current flow?
Conventional current is the flow of positive charge (or the equivalent flow of negative charge in the opposite direction; e.g., if electrons move to the left, the conventional current is to the right).Conventional current is the flow of positive charge (or the equivalent flow of negative charge in the opposite direction; e.g., if electrons move to the left, the conventional current is to the right).Conventional current is the flow of positive charge (or the equivalent flow of negative charge in the opposite direction; e.g., if electrons move to the left, the conventional current is to the right).Conventional current is the flow of positive charge (or the equivalent flow of negative charge in the opposite direction; e.g., if electrons move to the left, the conventional current is to the right).
What is the conventional current flow?
Conventional current flow is the flow of positive charges, or the equivalent flow of positive charges. That is, if what flows is really negative charges (for example, an electron), which flow in one direction, the "conventional current" flows in the opposite direction.
Define Conventional current?
Current as a transfer of (+) charge so thats its direction of flow is opposite to that of electrons which are (-) charged
What is the relationship between the direction of current and direction of electron flow in a current-carrying wire?
because the current is actually the flow of electrons.
Do the electrons flow in conventional current?
A conventional current is a fictitious current - a flow of positive charges. If the real current consists of electrons, the conventional current flows in the opposite direction as the electron movement. The real current may also consist of other charged particles, for example positive or negative ions in a solution.
What is the difference between electronic current and conventional current?
Difference between conventional current and electric current? • Electric current can be either negative or positive, but conventional current is always positive.• The conventional current for an electron flow is positive, whereas the electrical current is negative.• For a flow of positive charges, both the electric current and the conventional current are the same.• Since almost every electrical circuit uses an electron flow, it can be safely stated that the conventional current = - electrical current.• In conventional current, the flow of electrons is assumed as a flow of protons on the opposite direction.
Which direction does the conventional flow of energy move?
The term "conventional flow" is usually used specifically for electricity, not for any kind of energy. If the current consists of electrons, then, if the electrons move in one direction, the conventional flow (a ficticious flow of positive charge) flows in the opposite direction. If the electric flow consists of positive charges, then the conventional flow and the physical, or real, flow, are in the same direction. An electron current is the most common case, though.
How can positive charges cations in conventional current be equal to electronic current?
It IS NOT equal. The electron current represents something that really flows. The conventional current is a fictitious current that represents the flow of a POSITIVE charge (electrons have a negative charge), and flows in the opposite direction. Only the magnitude of the current is the same.
How does the flow of current within the simple cell differ from that in a copper wire?
One terminal of a cell or battery is positive, while the other is negative. It is convenient to think of current as flowing from positive to negative. This is called conventional current. Current arrows in circuit diagrams always point in the conventional direction. However, you should be aware that this is the direction of flow for a positively-chargedparticle.In a copper wire, the charge carriers are electrons. Electrons are negatively-charged and therefore flow from negative to positive. This means that electron flow is opposite in direction to conventional current.
What is the direction of current due to flow of electrons if it is not conventional current?
Electron flow is from negative to positive. Conventional current flow is from positive to negative.
Difference between electron flow and conventional current?
Conventional current flow refers to a flow of positive charges. It is a kind of ficticious current. If - as is often the case - the real current is an electron flow (negative charges), then the conventional flow is a current in the opposite direction as the electron movements, since this would have the same effect (for example on the magnetic field, or on conservation of charge).
Do electrons really flow when current flows?
That means that there is actually something - the electrons - flowing in the specified direction. On the other hand, the "conventional current" is defined as the equivalent flow of positive charge. In the case that the charge carriers are negative (such as electrons), the conventional current flows in the opposite direction to the actual movement of charges.
