"The electrode where the + charge enters the cell. It seems like everyone has their own opinion about which to call anode or cathode and it seems to get into the "which way is current flowing" debate."
Actually there is no debate.
Current flows in only one direction in an electrical circuit.
Although there are two different theories that can be used to understand, or describe this flow, of which direction this flow is, depending on which theory you choose to use, hole theory, or conventional electron flow theory, or depending on which theory you use to describe this flow of electrons in a circuit.
Either theory is correct, but you need to pick one or the other to use, and understand which theory an author is using when describing how the circuit works, so you can keep things straight in your own mind if he uses a different theory than you do.
It is a bit confusing at times.
There are different types of cells, a battery is a good example of this, the electrodes names of anode and the cathode can have different names depending on the cell type (in a battery depending on if the battery is discharging or charging), basically it is two different types of cells depending on charging or discharging, with different names to the electrodes}.
Oxidation occurs at the anode.
Reduction occurs at the cathode.
An electrolytic cell and galvanic cell, the electrodes can be name differently.
Again this can be confusing until you understand it better.
The fact is.
Oxidation occurs at the anode.
Reduction occurs at the cathode.
When you are dealing with electrolytic cells.
The anode is the + side electrode where oxidation of the metal occurs (where the metal will be oxidized, or forced to dissolve into the electrolyte as ions, as long as the metal in not inert).
The - cathode is the electrode side where the metal ions are reduced out of solution, or where reduction of the ions back to metal occurs.
As far as current flow in the external circuit.
Which way you choose to describe the direction the electrons are flowing through the external circuit of the cell, really depends on which electron theory you choose to use, (hole theory or conventional electron flow theory), or the theory the author is using. Either is correct, (although they both use different directions in there description).
I choose to use the older conventional electron theory, not the newer hole theory, so I say electrons flow from positive to negative, another person may choose the hole theory and say the electrons move from negative to positive, neither of us are wrong, (but these electrons only flow in one direction), we just have to pick one theory to use, and understand when someone else uses the other theory.
Basically it is similar to one person saying the glass is half full, and another says the glass is half empty, neither is wrong, its just how we look at the glass or describe what we see, as long as I understand how he is describing the glass I can understand what he is saying.
Well I guess there are some people who just like to debate, whether the glass is half full or half empty. Or just like to debate.
I do have to admit as a person who has studied electricity and electronics, and skilled in both, I still get sometimes confused with this myself. :lol:
