Negative Voltage: Understanding How Current Travels

[gbaby370]

I just completed a problem regarding a Millikan Oil Drop Experiment. I ended up with a negative voltage in the solution.

I am just trying to understand negative voltage. Does it mean that the current will travel from - to + instead of the conventional + to -?

 

[phinds]

I just completed a problem regarding a Millikan Oil Drop Experiment. I ended up with a negative voltage in the solution.

I am just trying to understand negative voltage. Does it mean that the current will travel from - to + instead of the conventional + to -?

yes it does

 

[haruspex]

yes it does

Umm.. I don't think so. Why would it do that? Conventionally signed current will always flow from the higher (more +ve) potential to the lower.

 

[Waterfox]

If the "-" represents the ground or reference then I believe the "+" can have any potential difference whether positive or negative. In such a case though the "-" terminal will have the higher potential and so conventional current will run from it to the "+" terminal.

 

[phinds]

If the "-" represents the ground or reference then I believe the "+" can have any potential difference whether positive or negative. In such a case though the "-" terminal will have the higher potential and so conventional current will run from it to the "+" terminal.

Yeah, that's what I meant, but my simple "yes" was a bit misleading, as haruspex correctly pointed out.