Current flow Vs electron flow, which were you taught?

[Leftyretro]

Seeing that this is such an international type forum, I'm curious about the titled subject. Here in the US I received my formal education in electronics in military training as a tech.

We were taught the fundamentals using electron flow (negative to positive) but were told that engineer types were taught using current flow (positive to negative) in universities and of course that explains all the 'backwards pointing arrows' used in semiconductor symbols Seemed that most of the electronics hobby magazines also used electron flow mostly.

So how is/was this subject taught in other countries? It's not really an issue once one has mastered the fundamentals but can be pretty confusing to new comers to electronics fundamentals.

Any other thoughts and opinions on this basic subject?

Lefty

 

[dknguyen]

Anyone that has ever done anything practical with electronics (ie. engs) has always used conventional (hole) flow it seems to me because that's what everyone in industry uses, and all the datasheets, etc, etc. Seems like the matter of theory vs what's used in practice. If you reverse your thinking, you will trip up sooner or later and not know it.

I first tried to reverse everything to electron flow since that logically made more sense, but I realized quickly that I would trip up sooner or later since everyone else was using the opposite. It's two paths: more logical at the start but requires effort throughout your life, or just learn the reverse way like everyone else at the start and not have to make an effort reversing everything as you go.

 

[JimB]

When I started with radio/electronics at about the age of 13 valves were still the dominant technology.
I started to learn the basics of "electricity" using conventional current (+ve to -ve) flow. This made understanding valve very difficult and confusing until I found out that electron flow was the opposite of conventional current. After that, things made a lot more sense.

Now on a day to day basis when I have to analyse a circuit, I use conventional current. On the odd occasions when I have to breathe life into a piece of old valve technology, I tend to think electron flow.

JimB

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Does it really make any difference?, particularly with split supplies and such these days. I tend to consider current flows from high to low - regardless of polarity - the actual polarity itself makes no difference.

 

[ericgibbs]

hi,

I usually think and work thru a circuit using conventional flow.

The only time a think in electron flow, is when its electron flow in a CRT or a liquid medium, eg: electrolysis etc.

 

[Leftyretro]

Does it really make any difference?, particularly with split supplies and such these days. I tend to consider current flows from high to low - regardless of polarity - the actual polarity itself makes no difference.

As I stated, no big deal once you were taught the differences. Mostly I was just curious about how the subject was formally taught in other countries?

Lefty

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

As I stated, no big deal once you were taught the differences. Mostly I was just curious about how the subject was formally taught in other countries?

To be honest I can't even remember! - we may well have been taught both at the same time?.

 

[mpj111]

I am trying to recall lessons in my college physics class. Currents flows opposit direction of Electron flows. This is part of physical electronics how the attoms/electrons behave in meterial. when electron jumps to the next vacant hole, then hole advance to the other direction which is the direction of currnet flow.

 

[Leftyretro]

I am trying to recall lessons in my college physics class. Currents flows opposit direction of Electron flows. This is part of physical electronics how the attoms/electrons behave in meterial. when electron jumps to the next vacant hole, then hole advance to the other direction which is the direction of currnet flow.

The explanation that I recall for the apparent contradiction of electron flow Vs current flow goes something like this:

Most of the early fundanmental discovers and 'laws' of electricity and electronics were made in the 19th century by the likes of Maxwell, Ohm and all those many other early scientists. At the time there was no true understanding of the structure of an atom and it's components (nucleus, electrons) so by some kind of consensus and agreement they postulated that current flowed from positive to negative in a circuit.

Much later when the atom's structure was better understood it was clear that flow is simply an atom giving up an electron from it's outer orbit (valence layer) and being added to an adjacent atom's valence layer. So clearly the only physically moving object supporting current flow are electrons that move from negative to positive charged atoms. The concept of an electron leaving a 'hole' as it vacates one atom to move to the next, therefore by leaving a 'hole' proving current moves from positive to negative via this 'hole flow' is a very strange train of thought for me and I always thought that it was just an explanation invented to allow scientist and engineers to cling to their prior paradigm that current flows from positive to negative.

Anyway I've always found this subject interesting and I'm sure my formal education in this subject was over simplified and possibly not even correct

Lefty

 

[phalanx]

I was taught both ways to show that if you set up your problem properly it doesn't matter which convention you use.

 

[Pommie]

I don't see any contradiction. Electrons are negative. We have a positive current flowing. Negative electrons flowing backward = positive current flowing forward.

Mike.

 

[kjennejohn]

One of my most memorable memories in electronics class was the picture of a pencil tip held in an small electric arc. The caption stated that an early experimenter had the idea to show the direction of electrical flow to his students by inserting the pencil tip in the arc and observing the carbon being blasted off the end. It was rather a shock to see the sparks flowing "in the wrong direction!"

I waited two years after that for something to go backwards in class. No such luck.

kenjj