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Author Topic: Electron Flow vs Conventional Current  (Read 5422 times)

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Offline ralphdspam

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Electron Flow vs Conventional Current
« on: September 28, 2011, 06:06:37 pm »
One of my biggest gripes of electronics is the implication that electricity flows from positive charge to negative charge.  This is of course incorrect, because electrons move from atom to atom. 
Positive charge can move in a liquid, but electricity is used more frequently in solid state electronics (as stated above).

Which convention do you think is the most practical. 
I personally think that someone should rewrite the books and make everything more consistent. 
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Offline AngelFish

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Re: Electron Flow vs Conventional Current
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2011, 06:08:47 pm »
They both occur. It depends on which group of particles are the mobile charge. With electrons, they do indeed flow from negative to positive. Other mobile charges behave differently.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2011, 06:09:59 pm by Qwerty.55 »
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∂²Ψ    -(2m(V(x)-E)Ψ
---  = -------------
∂x²        ℏ²Ψ

Offline ralphdspam

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Re: Electron Flow vs Conventional Current
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2011, 06:16:37 pm »
Yes, but in solid state electronics, only the electrons move.  Most of the current world relies on solid state electronics.  (I've seen silicon chips, but I've never seen a liquid computer.)
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Offline AngelFish

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Re: Electron Flow vs Conventional Current
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2011, 06:21:07 pm »
In solid state electronics, it's a bit more correct to say that the electron holes are charger carriers as well. Protons can also be mobile charge carriers in solid state conductors, although it's admittedly a bit more uncommon of a phenomenon.
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∂²Ψ    -(2m(V(x)-E)Ψ
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∂x²        ℏ²Ψ
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