Question

electric current is mainly due to the flow of electrons and hence the sign of electric current should be the direction of flow of electrons.But in actual we take the direction of electric current to be its opposite .why??

Answer 1

Electric current is a flow of electric charge. Since the electrons are negative charge carriers, the direction of current is opposed to the direction of flow of the electrons.

All this is for historical reasons because current was used and defined long before electrons were discovered. The choice made at the time for what is positive and what is negative can be considered as unfortunate since electrons are the carriers of current in metals. If you are a chemist and you work in aqueous solutions, there is no problem since there is always at least one positive carrier and a negative one.

Answer 2

because only protons can move freely in any metal..

Answer 3

@cornitodisc You probably mean electrons?

Answer 4

ALWAYS FLOW OF CURRENT IS OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO ELECTRONS

Answer 5

ya because electrons always have negative charge...if there is current due to flow of positive charge then the direction of flow of current will be same as flow of charge.
for example --
if electrons are flowing from A to B then the direction of current will be form B to A. but if there is current due to flow of positively charged ions from A to B then the direction of current will also be from A to B because here flowing charge is positive.

Answer 6

because current always flow frm higher potential to lower potential...which is oppposite to electron flow,which flow from lower to higher potential..