tle

• Electron flow (technically correct) specifies that current flows OUT of the NEGATIVE terminal of a power supply- through the circuit- back to the POSITIVE power supply terminal. This is really what happens. The negative terminal of a power supply has a SURPLUS of electrons, and the POSITIVE terminal has an electron deficiency. When a power supply is connected to a circuit, lost of "free" electrons flow from NEGATIVE power supply terminal - through the circuit- back to the POSITIVE terminal (electrons are attracted to the positively-charged atoms lacking electrons - opposite charges attract).

• CONVENTIONAL current flow is the opposite to that described above. POSITIVE - to - NEGATIVE flow. We will use CONVENTIONAL current flow because it is the most popular model, and the solid-state electronic symbols you will learn in ENT 178, 180, 281 all use arrows to denote conventional flow direction.