Which statement correctly describes electron flow in a circuit?

Which statement correctly describes electron flow in a circuit?

• A. Electrons flow from negative to positive
• B. Electrons flow from positive to negative
• C. Electrons flow randomly
• D. Electrons do not flow in circuits

Answer: (A)

Electric current is driven by the electric field in a circuit, and electrons, being negatively charged, drift from the negative terminal toward the positive terminal. That is the actual motion of charge carriers in a typical circuit powered by a battery. In circuit analysis, we use conventional current, which moves from positive to negative, as a convenient convention for thinking about how charges flow. So while the standard analysis uses the positive-to-negative direction, the physical movement of electrons is opposite, from negative to positive. The statement that electrons flow from negative to positive best describes the real movement of charge in the wire.

Electric current is driven by the electric field in a circuit, and electrons, being negatively charged, drift from the negative terminal toward the positive terminal. That is the actual motion of charge carriers in a typical circuit powered by a battery. In circuit analysis, we use conventional current, which moves from positive to negative, as a convenient convention for thinking about how charges flow. So while the standard analysis uses the positive-to-negative direction, the physical movement of electrons is opposite, from negative to positive. The statement that electrons flow from negative to positive best describes the real movement of charge in the wire.