Electricity: Positive to Negative or Negative to Positive?

[brewcrew975]

Lets say you have a battery and connect wires to each of the terminals. Now you bring both of the wires together to create a spark. Is the spark jumping from positive to negative (current) or from negative to positive (electron flow). Thanks!

 

[b.shahvir]

Lets say you have a battery and connect wires to each of the terminals. Now you bring both of the wires together to create a spark. Is the spark jumping from positive to negative (current) or from negative to positive (electron flow). Thanks!

Hi,

Actually, the current flow in metallic conductors is due to free electrons which flow from negative to positive terminal (as electrons are negatively charged particles).

However, spark is electric current thru air, the main constituant of which are positively charged ions which flow from positive to negative terminal under the influence of a potential gradient in air due to the voltage between the battery terminals.

 

[oswaler]

The spark is jumping from negative to positive, also known as electron flow. In a battery, the flow of electrons is from the negative terminal to the positive terminal, creating an electric current. This flow of electrons is what powers our devices and creates the spark when the wires are brought together. However, conventionally, current is described as flowing from positive to negative, which can be confusing. This is because the concept of current was established before the discovery of electrons and their flow. Therefore, it is more accurate to say that the spark is a result of the flow of electrons from negative to positive.