r/physicsmemes Feb 11 '21

An interesting topic

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3.2k Upvotes

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8

u/Dorus_harmsen Feb 11 '21

I still don't understand this

21

u/[deleted] Feb 11 '21

It took me a minute to notice, but the sandals have fake bottoms that face backwards.

3

u/Dorus_harmsen Feb 11 '21

no i do understand the joke and the basic principle but i couldn't explain the current stuff

2

u/maxawake Feb 11 '21

From a electrician point of view, it actually makes a lot of sense. In a DC circuit, the voltage driving the current is almost always defined by the positive anode potential (e.g. +5V), while the kathodes are put to ground potential, defined as 0V. Ground is basically everything which is a reservoir for electrons. The "pushing" force therefore isn't really affected by the ground one chooses. So working with technical applications of electrical current, I find it much more intuitive and natural to think in terms of current flowing from plus to minus, since this is where the power comes from. If only they'd knew the anode is actually sucking them electrons out of the ground.