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ANIMATION! ELECTRIC CURRENT is the flow of charge.
Conventionally this is the flow of positive charge. However, in
a simple circuit such as that illustrated the current in the
wire is composed of electrons that flow from the negative pole
of the battery (the cathode at the bottom of the battery) and
return to the positive pole (the anode at the top of the
battery, marked by a +). The diagram at the left shows the same
circuit as the one in the animation but in a standardised
diagrammatic form (i.e. it's a circuit diagram). The two
parallel lines of different lengths marked battery actually
represent a single cell. Single cells supply 1.5 volts and are
what we generally mean when we say a battery (e.g. "I must
change the batteries in my torch"). Technically, a battery is a
series of single cells joined together to provide a greater
voltage in, for example, a car battery. The "battery" in the
animation is a single cell. The flow of electrons is opposite t