Describe the energy transfers of an electron around the circuit when the switch is closed?

1 Answer
Feb 16, 2018

When a switch is closed, electrons move through a circuit from the negative side of a battery to the positive side

Explanation:

Note that current is marked to flow from positive to negative on circuit diagrams, but that's for historical reasons only. Benjamin Franklin did a fabulous job of understanding what was going on, but no one yet knew about protons & electrons, so he assumed current was flowing from positive to negative.

However, what really happens is electrons flow from negative (where they repel each other) to positive (where they are attracted).

As electrons flow through a circuit, they need 'something to do'. In many cases, that something is to light a bulb or heat an element, such as an element on a stove. So, the energy of an electron can be converted to heat or light.

I hope I'm understanding your question correctly