Current Flow In A Circuit
Conventional current assumes that current flows out of the positive terminal through the circuit and into the negative terminal of the source.
Current flow in a circuit. Since current can be the flow of either positive or negative charges or both a convention is needed for the direction of current that is independent of the type of charge carriers. It defines the relationship between the three fundamental electrical quantities. You can also liken electrical current to the quantity or volume of water flowing through a water pipe. Alternating current ac and direct.
An electric current is a flow of particles electrons flowing through wires and components. No coils current flows according to ohm s law which is shown below. Take this circuit as an example. I v r.
A flow of positive charges gives the same electric current and has the same effect in a circuit as an equal flow of negative charges in the opposite direction. Ohm s law is the most important basic law of electricity. Water current is the rate at which water flows past a point on the water circuit. If we label four points in this circuit with the numbers 1 2 3 and 4 we will find that the amount of current conducted through the wire between points 1 and 2 is exactly the same as the amount of current conducted through the lamp between points 2 and 3.
The term current refers to the simple flow of electrons in a circuit or electrical system. It is the rate of flow of charge if the electric charge flows through a conductor we say that there is an electric current in the conductor in the circuits using metallic wires electrons constitute a flow of charges. Conventional current is the flow of a positive charge from positive to negative and is the reverse of real electron flow. Current is the rate at which something flows.
All descriptions of electronic circuits use conventional current so if you see an arrow depicting current flow in a circuit diagram you know it is showing the direction of conventional current flow. Electrical current exists in two types. Current voltage and resistance when a voltage is applied to a circuit containing only resistive elements i e. This was the convention chosen during the discovery of electricity.
Electron flow is what actually happens and electrons flow out of the negative terminal through the circuit and into the positive terminal of the source. As such current is analogous to the number of gallons of water flowing into along and out of a slide per unit of time.