What is Electrical Polarity?

What is Electrical Polarity?

Electrical Polarity Definition

Electrical polarity is defined as the state of a body or system relative to another, indicating whether it has positive or negative polarity.

Importance of Polarity

Polarity is crucial for connecting devices like meters, machines, and batteries correctly.

Current Flow Direction

 In a DC circuit, current flows in one direction—from negative to positive polarity—while in an AC circuit, current changes direction every half cycle.

DC Circuit

 AC Circuit

Polarity in Voltage Sources

In circuits with multiple voltage sources, the total voltage depends on the polarity of the sources—same polarity adds up, opposite polarity subtracts.

Conventional vs Actual Current Direction

Conventionally, current is assumed to flow from positive to negative, but in reality, it flows from negative to positive due to electron movement.