Cathode
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The English used in this article may not be easy for everybody to understand. (March 2012) |
A cathode is an electrode through which electrons flow into an electrical device such as a battery. In other words, a cathode is a positive electrode on a battery and a negative electrode on an electrolytic cell. Electric current is perceived as flowing in the opposite direction that the electrons are flowing. So electrons go into the + terminal of a battery, but electric current goes out. Electrons go into the - terminal of an electrolytic cell, but electric current goes out.
An electrode through which electrons flows out of the device is termed an anode because it is negatively charged. An anode is a negative electrode on a battery and a positive electrode on an electrolytic cell.
