Meaning "down direction" in Greek, it is the emitting side of an emit-receive circuit. A cathode is considered a "negative electrode." Its counterpart, the "anode," means "up direction." For example, in a battery, the negative terminal is the cathode, and the positive side is the anode. In a vacuum tube, the cathode is the electron emitter ("cathode ray emitter"), and the anode is the collector plate. See electrode.
Cathodes and Anodes
The cathode is the emitting side of an electric or electronic device such as in these examples.
Cathodes and Anodes
The cathode is the emitting side of an electric or electronic device such as in these examples.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
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