What direction do electrons move in a battery?

What direction do electrons move in a battery?

• A. From positive terminal to negative terminal
• B. From negative terminal to positive terminal
• C. In a circle around the circuit
• D. From anode to cathode

Answer: (B)

Electrons move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal through the external circuit. Since electrons are negative, they’re repelled by the negative terminal and drawn toward the positive terminal, so the actual electron flow is opposite the conventional current direction (which goes from positive to negative). The notion of flow from positive to negative describes current, not electron motion. The idea of circulating around the circuit isn’t how charge travels in a simple battery circuit. Saying electrons move from anode to cathode aligns with the electrode labeling in a discharging cell, but the clearest way to state it is from the negative terminal to the positive terminal.

Electrons move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal through the external circuit. Since electrons are negative, they’re repelled by the negative terminal and drawn toward the positive terminal, so the actual electron flow is opposite the conventional current direction (which goes from positive to negative). The notion of flow from positive to negative describes current, not electron motion. The idea of circulating around the circuit isn’t how charge travels in a simple battery circuit. Saying electrons move from anode to cathode aligns with the electrode labeling in a discharging cell, but the clearest way to state it is from the negative terminal to the positive terminal.