Nature and Direction of Electric Current

A collection of flashcards focusing on key vocabulary related to the nature and direction of electric current.

Electric Current

The flow of electric charge, typically carried by electrons in a conductor.

Free Electrons

Electrons that are not bound to atoms and can move freely through a conductive material.

Conventional Current

The flow of electric charge defined to move from the positive to the negative terminal, opposite to the actual flow of electrons.

Electromotive Force (EMF)

The pressure or force required to move free electrons from one atom to another in a conductor.

Difference of Potential (ddp)

The difference in electric charge between two points, resulting in a voltage.

Voltage

The electric potential difference between two points; the force that drives current flow.

Polarity

The characteristic of having a positive and a negative pole, essential for the flow of electric current.

Alessandro Volta

An Italian physicist known for inventing the voltaic pile, the first source of electromotive force.

Voltaic Pile

The first chemical battery, consisting of layers of different materials immersed in a saline solution.

Current Flow

The movement of free electrons from the negative to the positive pole in a circuit.