How Does Potential Difference Work with Electron Flow?

[shehri]

Hi all,

We consider +ve terminal of a battery as higher potential & -ve terminal as lower potential.The work done in moving a +ve charge from lower to higher potential is called Potential difference.But if the flow of current is due to electrons(-ve charges) then what'll be the concept of P.D(Potential ifference)?.

 

[schattenjaeger]

The work done in moving a +ve charge from lower to higher potential is called Potential difference

Negati...er, no, un-affirmative

the work done is just that. But that's a little abstract a concept, so we normally look at the work done per unit time, which is the power. So if you use joules for work and seconds for time, you get watts!

Edit: Well the work done per unit charge, that would be the voltage, wouldn't it? Meh something like that

 

[schattenjaeger]

Anyways, to actually answer the question, I think of an object with mass in a gravitational field and how it will travel "down" the gravitational potential. A difference in gravitational potential is easily visualizable as say...a hill!

in a similar fashion a positive electric charge in an electric field will travel "down" an electric potential difference(of course unlike mass and gravity there isn't a "negative" mass...that we've seen!)

if you want to use the water analogy, electric current is like, well, water current, and then high potential would be like high pressure and low voltage like low pressure