Fun fact: when they were still figuring out electricity they didn't have a proper understanding of electrons so they wrote all electric diagrams with the assumption that something was going from the positive side to the negative side. We've known that electrons have a negative charge and move from negative to positive for quite a while now but conventional electrical diagrams are still backwards to the flow of the electrons to this day.
It's funny to think that all electrical components, including diodes are engineered in a way where wiring them up the "wrong way" according to human intuition but correctly according to the schematics, makes the whole thing work.
Then we decided to throw negative DC voltages or AC into the mix to make things even more confusing, which essentially just shift the reference point for what we would usually consider as "ground" in a circuit.
All of this just to make the math work out in the end, and I think that's pretty neat.
Before we had diodes in our curriculum i was curious how one would wire them up or mark them on diagrams considering they were inherently polarized, given how electron flow is opposite to conventional. I was quite delighted to see the P/N semiconductor types making it immediately evident
When you get into electrochemistry, the answer becomes complicated. Positively charged molecules move too, and in semiconductors there's such thing as a 'hole' - an absence of electron in a densely packed electron field - which carries charge as if it were a real particle.
21 Comments
DaddleDew@lemmy.world · 38 pts · 54d
Fun fact: when they were still figuring out electricity they didn't have a proper understanding of electrons so they wrote all electric diagrams with the assumption that something was going from the positive side to the negative side. We've known that electrons have a negative charge and move from negative to positive for quite a while now but conventional electrical diagrams are still backwards to the flow of the electrons to this day.
Raccoon_Rick@altgag.net · 13 pts · 54d
It's funny to think that all electrical components, including diodes are engineered in a way where wiring them up the "wrong way" according to human intuition but correctly according to the schematics, makes the whole thing work. Then we decided to throw negative DC voltages or AC into the mix to make things even more confusing, which essentially just shift the reference point for what we would usually consider as "ground" in a circuit. All of this just to make the math work out in the end, and I think that's pretty neat.
technohacker@programming.dev · 7 pts · 53d
Before we had diodes in our curriculum i was curious how one would wire them up or mark them on diagrams considering they were inherently polarized, given how electron flow is opposite to conventional. I was quite delighted to see the P/N semiconductor types making it immediately evident
Grail@multiverse.soulism.net · 5 pts · 53d
Zwiebel@feddit.org · 4 pts · 53d
We call this "technical" and "physical" direction of flow
Hiro8811@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 53d
Or "real" and "conventional"
pelya@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 53d
When you get into electrochemistry, the answer becomes complicated. Positively charged molecules move too, and in semiconductors there's such thing as a 'hole' - an absence of electron in a densely packed electron field - which carries charge as if it were a real particle.
Kenny2999@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 54d
Kudos on finding the positive side in current events.
renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net · 17 pts · 54d
Yeah the discourse is usually so charged.
0ops@piefed.zip · 16 pts · 54d
So amped for this to become a trend
Zorque@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 53d
We may begin to heal from all the hertz we've received...
Slovene85@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 53d
Ohm i god, I love this thread.
renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net · 8 pts · 53d
Me too but I worry we’ll encounter resistance.
bottleofchips@piefed.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 53d
Watt?
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 53d
I feel really grounded here myself.
Kenny2999@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 53d
...and re-volt
Zebrafive@lemmy.myserv.one · 6 pts · 53d
We can start by forming a few coloumbs and start marching
jlemmy@ani.social · 12 pts · 53d
finally something to spark my interest. never let anyone stop your potential
socsa@piefed.social · 4 pts · 52d
OP, I thought you'd been cured of dad jokes, but it looks like it's terminal.
marcos@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 54d
Well... Potential is relative.
Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 53d
A charged, tense statement.
rcbrk@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 54d