Just as water flows in a pipe from a higher level (or higher pressure) to a lower level, so do the electrons in a conductor. They flow from a point of higher potential to a point of lower potential. The path followed by the electrons is called the electric circuit.
If a material having free electron (such as copper, silver, etc.) as connected between the terminals of a battery, having an e.m.f. the electrons in the material being negatively charged, are continuously attracted to the positive terminal of the battery and repelled by the negative terminal. The flow of electrons, (as mentioned earlier) will constitute an electric current.
Although the drift of the electrons in the material is towards the positive terminal of the battery, the direction of the current is taken as opposite to the electron movement. This direction of current has universal acceptance and is known as the conventional current, whereas the term "electronic current" is used by those who depart from this convention. The people consider electron movement and current direction to be the same.
Above diagram shows an Electric Circuit. This is a closed circuit. But if a switch is introduced in one of the connecting wires between connections are more complex, a circuit may have open circuit part as well as a closed circuit part; then the whole arrangement is called either circuit or a network.
No comments:
Post a Comment