Question

(a) In which direction does conventional current flow around a circuit?
(b) In which direction do electrons flow?

Answer 1

Hint: Recall the concept of electric current or simply current. From this information, check what is an electric current and what should be the direction of the conventional electric current in a circuit from a battery. Also, check the charge on an electron. Hence, determine the direction of the electron flow in a circuit from a battery.

Complete answer:
(a) We know that in a circuit, the flow of the electric current is from the supply of the electric current. This supply of the electric current may be a battery, alternating current power supply (AC power supply) or direct current power supply (DC power supply).This power supply or battery has two terminals, a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

In a circuit, the electric current is due to the flow of the electrons through the wire or current carrying conductor.The electric current behaves as the positive charge carrier. Hence, the direction of the conventional current flow in a circuit is from the positive terminal of the battery towards the negative terminal of the battery.

(b) The electrons are negatively charged. Hence, in a circuit, the electron flow is from the negative terminal of the battery to the positive terminal of the battery.This direction of the flow of the electrons is exactly opposite to that of the direction of flow of the conventional current.

Note: The students should not get confused between the terms electric current flow and the electron flow because in general we define the electric current as the flow of electrons. Hence, the students may think that the terms electric current flow or conventional current flow and electric flow are the same terms. But these two are different terms in which there is flow of the positive charge carriers and the negative charged electrons.