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What is the relationship between potential difference and direction of flow of current in an electric circuit?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Electric current always flows from high potential to low potential. This creates the flow of electric current in an electric circuit.
Answer
In a metal conductor, current is defined as a drift of free electrons. As electrons are negatively charged, this means that current drifts along a conductor from a negative potential to a positive potential.
However....
Current direction is often defined as a drift from a positive potential to a negative potential. This is termed 'conventional flow', and dates back to when scientists, such as Benjamin Franklin, believed that current was some sort of fluid that flowed from a higher pressure ('positive' pressure) to a lower pressure ('negative' pressure). Although incorrect, conventional flow is still widely-used today in many textbooks.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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What is the difference between electron flow direction and electric current flow direction?
the electrons flow from the region of low potential to region of high potential. the electric current also flow in this direction but for convention we took it as the flow of positive charge from region of low to high region potential.
Why electric charge is a scaler quantity?
Current is a scalar if it is given as a scalar - such as 5A. There is no direction connected with this. If it is referenced to a voltage - 5A at 30 degrees lagging the voltage - then it is a vector quantity.
Is it true for an electric current to flow only if two objects have a different charge?
Only if there is a potential difference between two points, does the charge move specifically in a direction.
What is the difference between electrical potential and electromotive force?
electric potential is potential difference between two points in closed circuit. but electromotive force is potential difference in any open circuit.
What device creates a potential difference in an electric circuit?
resistor
What determines the direction of Electric?
The potential difference. The electrons flows from a lower potential to a higher potential. The electric current flows in the opposite direction. The electric field's direction is always from a higher potential to a lower potential. Its kind of like a waterfall. The water always falls down not up. It goes from a higher potential to a lower potential.
Relationship between electric field intensity and electric potential?
Electric field intensity is related to electric potential by the equation E = -dV/dx, where E is the electric field intensity, V is the electric potential, and x is the distance in the direction of the field. Essentially, the electric field points in the direction of decreasing potential, and the magnitude of the field is related to the rate at which the potential changes.
How does the increase or decrease of potential difference affect the flow of the electric current?
Increase or decrease in potential results in the change in direction of the flow of electric current.
What determines the direction of electric field?
The potential difference. The electrons flows from a lower potential to a higher potential. The electric current flows in the opposite direction. The electric field's direction is always from a higher potential to a lower potential. Its kind of like a waterfall. The water always falls down not up. It goes from a higher potential to a lower potential.
What is the difference between electron flow direction and electric current flow direction?
the electrons flow from the region of low potential to region of high potential. the electric current also flow in this direction but for convention we took it as the flow of positive charge from region of low to high region potential.
What is the difference between electrical potential energy and potential difference?
Electric potential is the electric potential energy per unit coulomb. So unit for electric potential is J/C and that of electric potential energy is simply J
What enables the electric current to move through a material?
The electric current moves in the direction opposite to the flow of electrons by convention.When a potential difference is applied to a material which has "loose" electrons, the electrons move in a direction opposite to the potential gradient and the current moves in the opposite direction to the flow of electrons.This is how current flows in materials.
The volt is the unit of electric?
potential difference.
What difference between electric potential energy and mechanical potential energy?
Dadsca
What kind of difference is measured in volts?
Volts are a measure of electric potential difference.
Why electric charge is a scaler quantity?
Current is a scalar if it is given as a scalar - such as 5A. There is no direction connected with this. If it is referenced to a voltage - 5A at 30 degrees lagging the voltage - then it is a vector quantity.
Poem about electric potential and potential difference?
Electricity will rule the world one day.
