direction of current and electrons and charge

[sixpence]

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So the books say that current is the direction that positive charges flow.

When we draw circuits at the emf the longer bar is the + side and the shorter bar is the -. And the current is drawn so that it goes from the + to the - end. So does that mean electrons are flowing from the - end to the positive end?

I'm not understanding this because is why would you name the direction of the current opposite the way the electrons flow. Nothing is actually going in the direction of the current, right? Positive charges are just the absence of charge so they are nothing?

 

[BennieBlanco]

So the books say that current is the direction that positive charges flow.

When we draw circuits at the emf the longer bar is the + side and the shorter bar is the -. And the current is drawn so that it goes from the + to the - end. So does that mean electrons are flowing from the - end to the positive end?

I'm not understanding this because is why would you name the direction of the current opposite the way the electrons flow. Nothing is actually going in the direction of the current, right? Positive charges are just the absence of charge so they are nothing?

hmmm. Have you taken physics?

Electrons flow from the NEGATIVE END to the POSITIVE. Yet, because we are human beings and like to think in terms of + signs, someone decided to say that the CURRENT flows opposite the electrons (just a convention).

You are correct that nothing is flowing in the direction of the current. What is happening is the random flow of electrons is heading in the direction opposite the current. all your ideas are correct.

Why? Most things in physics we must make a decision upon, like gravity is negative acceleration, we had to decide that dropping is negative... because that made the most sense to the guy making it up.

 

[Seraph 84]

It was once thought that positive charges were moving from + to -. It turns out it is actually the electrons moving from - to +.

I know it's counterintuitive, but the convention for current supports the theory of the movement of electrons - positive charges moving from + to - is equivalent to the flow of electrons from - to +.