anode
Sign in to savethumb|Diagram of a zinc anode in a [[galvanic cell. Note how electrons move out of the cell, and the conventional current moves into it in the opposite direction.]]
AI overview
An anode is the electrode in a battery or galvanic cell where electrons are released and flow out into an external circuit. It matters because it's the source of electrical current that powers devices, making it a fundamental component of how batteries work.
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Article
13 sectionsContents
- Charge flow
- Examples
- Etymology
- Electrolytic anode
- Battery or galvanic cell anode
- Vacuum tube anode
- Diode anode
- Sacrificial anode
- Impressed current anode
- Related antonym
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Diagram of a zinc anode in a [[galvanic cell. Note how electrons move out of the cell, and the conventional current moves into it in the opposite direction.]]
An anode usually is an electrode of a polarized electrical device through which conventional current enters the device. This contrasts with a cathode, which is usually an electrode of the device through which conventional current leaves the device. A common mnemonic is ACID, for anode current into device. The direction of conventional current (the flow of positive charges) in a circuit is opposite to the direction of electron flow, so (negatively charged) electrons flow from the anode of a galvanic cell, into an outside or external circuit connected to the cell. For example, the end of a household battery marked with a + is the cathode (while discharging).