[Amps] Zener Screen Regulators

[Manfred Mornhinweg]

>> If a negative charge flows left, then a positive charge appears to  
>> flow right.  Yes, only the electron "physically" moves.

That's halfways right, but I still just don't see the need of even 
talking about the motion of positive charges. Talking about motion of 
negatively charged electrons is enough in electronics.

Why only halfways right? Because it works only for a continual flow of 
charges. If a continuous current flows, with a certain number of 
trillions of electrons passing each spot of the wire in every second, 
then it works fine to think in terms of the same number of positive 
charges moving in the other direction. But if a single electron moves 
through space, in a tube, and takes a while to arrive, how do you make 
the equivalent with "conventional" current flow? You make a positive 
quant jump out of the plate, and arrive at the cathode A LITTLE WHILE 
EARLIER?

If you are travelling west on the highway, it's the same as saying that 
a negation of you is travelling east, right? That works at the moment 
when you and your negation meet, but not an hour earlier or later in the 
trip!

In chemistry, yes, you can have motion of ions, carrying a current, and 
these ions can have positive or negative charge. So it's true that 
electric current is the flow of electric charges, which can be positive 
or negative ones. But in electronics it's simply more practical and 
intuitive to think in terms of the physical motion of electrons, than in 
the opposite motion of abstract positive charges.

And about zeners and avalanche diodes, I have seen many datasheets that 
correctly identify the higher voltage devices as avalanche diodes, and 
don't use the name "zener".  Even so the error is widespread enough.

Manfred

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