Initially, electric current was considered the flow of positive charges. Conventionally, in metallic wire circuits, the direction is opposite to the flow of electrons, which are negative charges.
Initially, how was the direction of electric current considered, and what is the conventional direction in circuits using metallic wires?
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Initially, the direction of electric current was considered to be the flow of positive charges, known as conventional current flow. This convention was established before the discovery of electrons. Later, with the understanding that electrons are the primary charge carriers in metallic conductors, the direction of electron flow became the focus. However, for practical purposes and continuity, the conventional direction of current in metallic wire circuits is considered as the flow of positive charges from the positive to the negative terminal, opposite to the actual movement of electrons. This convention is widely used in electrical engineering and circuit analysis.