An electric current is a
flow of microscopic
particles called
ELECTRONS flowing
through wires and
electronic components.
It can be likened to the
flow of water through
pipes and radiators etc.
As water is pushed
through pipes by a pump,
electric current is
pushed through wires by
a battery. Hot water does work by
heating radiators.
Electric current does
work by heating fires,
lighting lamps, ringing
bells, electroplating
etc.A basic law of the
universe is that like
charges repel and unlike
attract. Two negatives
will repel each other. A
negative and a positive
will attract each other.
An electron has a
negative charge.
The negative (-ve)
terminal of a battery
will push negative
electrons along a wire.
The positive (+ve)
terminal of a battery
will attract negative
electrons along a wire.
Electric current will
therefore flow from the
-ve terminal of a
battery, through the
lamp, to the positive
terminal.
This is called electron
current flow.The current flows round
the circuit.
In some books current is
said to flow from +ve to
-ve. This was guessed at
before the electron was
discovered. They guessed
wrong! This is called
conventional current
flow. |