A Question on Batteries
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 24,418
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From: San Francisco, Ca.
A Question on Batteries
A buddy of mine and I were talking about battereis.
I stated that the current flows out of the negative terminal (-), through what ever devices are being powered, and then back into the positive (+) terminal.
He stated that it was the opposite.
I was taught this in a community college back in the early 70s.
So who is correct?
(And you guys better say I am)-kidding.
EDIT: I Just found out from several sites that current does flow out from the negative side of a battery and back into the positive side of same battery.
I knew I should've bet money on this one. Oh well.
I stated that the current flows out of the negative terminal (-), through what ever devices are being powered, and then back into the positive (+) terminal.
He stated that it was the opposite.
I was taught this in a community college back in the early 70s.
So who is correct?
(And you guys better say I am)-kidding.
EDIT: I Just found out from several sites that current does flow out from the negative side of a battery and back into the positive side of same battery.I knew I should've bet money on this one. Oh well.
Last edited by sierraben; Mar 24, 2006 at 01:55 PM.
Freshman User
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Electron flow Vs Conventional Current
Electrons flow from negitive to positive. In the early days it was thought it
was the other way arround due to, IF I remember right, the observation of
the deterioration of the poles with-in the battery. Science has since come to
the conclusion that electrons flow (current) from neg to pos. in a complete circuit. Sometimes when designing complex circuits engineers think "Conventional current"(pos to neg) to simplify the thought process.
Whew.........................
was the other way arround due to, IF I remember right, the observation of
the deterioration of the poles with-in the battery. Science has since come to
the conclusion that electrons flow (current) from neg to pos. in a complete circuit. Sometimes when designing complex circuits engineers think "Conventional current"(pos to neg) to simplify the thought process.
Whew.........................
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 415
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From: Burlington Vermont area
Wikipedia rocks!
In the article on Electric Charge it says:
"...We now know that the Franklin/Watson model was close, but too simple. Matter is actually composed of several kinds of electrically charged particles, the most common being the positively charged proton and the negatively charged electron. Rather than one possible electric current there are many: a flow of electrons, a flow of electron "holes" which act like positive particles, or in electrolytic solutions, a flow of both negative and positive particles called ions moving in opposite directions. To reduce this complexity, electrical workers still use Franklin's convention and they imagine that electric current (known as conventional current) is a flow of exclusively positive particles. The conventional current simplifies electrical concepts and calculations, but it ignores the fact that within some conductors (electrolytes, semiconductors, and plasma), two or more species of electric charges flow in opposite directions. The flow direction for conventional current is also backwards compared to the actual electron drift taking place during electric currents in metals, the typical conductor of electricity, which is a source of confusion for beginners in electronics."
I'm sure that clears it right up.
In the article on Electric Charge it says:
"...We now know that the Franklin/Watson model was close, but too simple. Matter is actually composed of several kinds of electrically charged particles, the most common being the positively charged proton and the negatively charged electron. Rather than one possible electric current there are many: a flow of electrons, a flow of electron "holes" which act like positive particles, or in electrolytic solutions, a flow of both negative and positive particles called ions moving in opposite directions. To reduce this complexity, electrical workers still use Franklin's convention and they imagine that electric current (known as conventional current) is a flow of exclusively positive particles. The conventional current simplifies electrical concepts and calculations, but it ignores the fact that within some conductors (electrolytes, semiconductors, and plasma), two or more species of electric charges flow in opposite directions. The flow direction for conventional current is also backwards compared to the actual electron drift taking place during electric currents in metals, the typical conductor of electricity, which is a source of confusion for beginners in electronics."
I'm sure that clears it right up.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: San Francisco, Ca.
BLKFE, I just posted an edit after looking it up on the internet.
That's what I was taught.
I'm not sure if it was Ben Franklin who wrote that it was either out of the negative side or out of the positive side; but I do remember his name was mentioned.
BikerWithTruck, I do vaguely remember my instructor telling us that for the most part those little bitty electrons were travelling in the same direction, with some of them travelling in the opposite direction; or something like that. Now this was a long time ago (30+ years)
Thanks for your reply.
That's what I was taught.
I'm not sure if it was Ben Franklin who wrote that it was either out of the negative side or out of the positive side; but I do remember his name was mentioned.
BikerWithTruck, I do vaguely remember my instructor telling us that for the most part those little bitty electrons were travelling in the same direction, with some of them travelling in the opposite direction; or something like that. Now this was a long time ago (30+ years)
Thanks for your reply.
Last edited by sierraben; Mar 24, 2006 at 02:04 PM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,466
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From: Calgary Canada
Yep, the electrons flow FROM the negative terminal. But really the concept works just fine with "convential current" as well.
Where it really get's screwed up is when you dealing with AC, since the electrons don't "flow," they just move back and forth. Hurts my head.
Where it really get's screwed up is when you dealing with AC, since the electrons don't "flow," they just move back and forth. Hurts my head.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: San Francisco, Ca.
I'll tell you from experience; don't grab your dad's pliers; each handle in each hand, then place one tip of the pliers handle on one terminal, then strike the other terminal of an auto battery with the other tip of the pliers handle.
I did this when I was about 8 years old.
That one hurt.
The muscles in my chest, jaws, arms, and neck were hurting for a few days.
I wonder if the current came close to the old (young ticker)?
I did this when I was about 8 years old.
That one hurt.
The muscles in my chest, jaws, arms, and neck were hurting for a few days.
I wonder if the current came close to the old (young ticker)?
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Senior User
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From: Burlington Vermont area
Originally Posted by stu37d
How do they know? It is all just theory, isn't it? I was also taught neg to pos, but who among us is able to see the movement of the little buggers?
This whole 'flow' thing is just a convenient way to think about electricity though. In fact, electrons are traded among atoms in proximity to eachother. Unlike water through a garden hose, where the water molecules actually transit from one end of the hose to the other - in a conductor you have adjacent atoms handing electrons off to eachother (but not necessarily handing off the SAME electron they were handed). I'm kinda making this up as I go along though - so don't believe me!
Last edited by BikerWithTruck; Mar 24, 2006 at 02:23 PM.
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From: Pittsburgh
Technically, the electrons flow from the negative terminal, through the circuit, to the positive terminal. However, when reading into it, it get complicated thinking of something going from a low potential (negative terminal) to a high potential (positive terminal). Reason being is because you think of batteries supplying power, so something would go from low to high inside the battery, then losing that power through the circuit.
Let me try to draw a picture here to show it....cuz I know that explanation was confusing:
(+)-->-->-->---l
(^)................ v
(-)--<--<--<---l
Where () is the battery, and the arrows, ->, show the direction of current. The dots are just in there so that the diagram lines up right.
Let me try to draw a picture here to show it....cuz I know that explanation was confusing:
(+)-->-->-->---l
(^)................ v
(-)--<--<--<---l
Where () is the battery, and the arrows, ->, show the direction of current. The dots are just in there so that the diagram lines up right.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: N. Mississippi
I'm so old I don't remember what I was taught! LOL! I do know that the flow of electrons can hurt ya if it don't kill ya!
Never and I mean never trust anyone to turn a breaker off for you!!!
Never and I mean never trust anyone to turn a breaker off for you!!!
