Electrical Current Theories

• Conventional Current Theory.  In 1752, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) performed his famous kite flying experiment.  He postulated that there were two kinds of electricity, negative and positive.  He also postulated that electric current flowed from positive to negative.  Ever since that time it has been taught that current travels from positive to negative, especially in the automotive diagnosis and repair industry.  Unfortunately, it was discovered in the late 1800's that Benjamin Franklin was wrong about the direction of current.  Current is actually the movement of electrons from one atom to the other.  

• Electron Current Theory.  In 1897 the British physicist Sir Joseph J. Thomson discovered the electron and proved that electrical current was actually the movement of electrons from one atom to another. Electron current flows from negative to positive.

It really makes little difference which current theory you subscribe to, everything still works the same way.  Think of it making as much difference as the debate over whether a glass is half-full of water or half-empty.  The human race is comprised of creatures that resist change.  For example, the United States of America officially adopted the Metric System in 1975, yet we still use non-metric units of measurement for almost everything we do.