What is a conventional flow of current?

The conventional flow of current is the flow of electric current from the positive terminal to the negative terminal of a battery or source.

Before electrons were discovered, scientists assumed that current flows from positive to negative. Later, it was found that electrons actually move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal, but the earlier convention is still used in diagrams and calculations.

• Conventional current direction: Positive → Negative
• Electron flow direction: Negative → Positive
• Both flows are opposite in direction.

Example

In a circuit connected to a battery, the current is shown flowing from the positive terminal through the resistor and back to the negative terminal, even though electrons move in the reverse direction.