Why does current flow the opposite way from the electrons?

Re:Why does current flow the opposite way from the electrons? by afiori on Saturday June 22, 2024 @06:35PM (#40762834)

There is a way in that it matters: in a vacuum tube you can have cathodic rays but (pragmatically) not anodic rays.

IIRC a Veritasium video claims that these where essentially discovered by mistake in lightbulbs, so I suspect that Franklin would have had a hard time finding them...

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Re:Why does current flow the opposite way from the electrons? by kazinator on Saturday June 22, 2024 @07:06PM (#40763060)

But a cathode is that terminal of the device where positive current escapes!

It's only a "cathode ray" because it's reversed inside the tube: the terminal where positive current comes out of the device is where the negative current emanates internally to go to the other terminal.

An electron beam shooting out of a device is an anode ray.

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Re:Why does current flow the opposite way from the electrons? by afiori on Sunday June 23, 2024 @11:21AM (#40768094)

I always mix them up... :(

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Re:Why does current flow the opposite way from the electrons? by kazinator on Sunday June 23, 2024 @06:04PM (#40770988)

If we make an oscillating circuit by hooking up an inductor and capacitor and set it in motion, the devices are constantly switching their terminal designations between anode and cathode with each zero crossing. The terms are completely useless, except when talking about vacuum tube circuits and such.

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