They do. But only a very small amount of charge moves into the body before it reaches the same potential as the battery terminal and then the flow stops. It's like trying to pour water into a stopped-up drainpipe - only so much will go down the drain before the flow stops.wphays said:then why do the surplus electrons from the negative terminal of the battery not discharge to the human body or Earth (which have a neutral charge) when touched?
Thank youNugatory said:They do. But only a very small amount of charge moves into the body before it reaches the same potential as the battery terminal and then the flow stops. It's like trying to pour water into a stopped-up drainpipe - only so much will go down the drain before the flow stops.
If we create a circuit by touching a conductor to both terminals of the battery, we will get a current flow that will discharge the battery fairly quickly.
If you are not familiar with the concepts of potential and capacitance, you'll want to learn about them. They are far more useful for understanding current flows than thinking in terms of electrons moving around.
Electrons at the battery negative terminal play a crucial role in the process of generating electricity. They are responsible for creating an electric current by flowing through the external circuit from the negative to the positive terminal of the battery.
Electrons move from the battery negative terminal to the positive terminal through a process called electrochemical reaction. This reaction occurs within the battery, where chemical energy is converted into electrical energy, causing the movement of electrons.
If there is a break in the circuit, electrons will not be able to flow from the negative to the positive terminal, and the flow of electricity will be interrupted. This can result in the device powered by the battery not functioning properly or not working at all.
No, electrons can only flow from the negative to the positive terminal of a battery. This is because the negative terminal has an excess of electrons, while the positive terminal has a deficiency of electrons. Electrons always flow from areas of high concentration to low concentration.
At the negative terminal, electrons interact with the chemicals inside the battery through a process called reduction. During this process, the chemicals gain electrons, which allows them to store energy. This stored energy is then released when the battery is connected to a circuit, causing the flow of electrons and the generation of electricity.