Which statement correctly describes the anode in an external electrical circuit?

• A. It is negatively charged.
• B. It is an electrode through which current flows from an outside source.
• C. It absorbs electrons from the cathode.
• D. It has no role in directing current.

Answer: (B)

In an external electrical circuit, conventional current is treated as the flow of positive charge from the power source into the device. The electrode that current enters from the outside source is the anode. In devices powered by a source (like an electrolytic cell), the external source pushes current into this electrode, and oxidation occurs there, with electrons being drawn away toward the power source through the circuit. The other electrode serves as the outlet for current back toward the source, completing the loop. So describing the anode as the electrode through which current flows from an outside source matches how current is driven into the device by the power supply.