How does electricity flow in this Schematic with a battery?

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1

Hey guys, I have a question on how the electricity flows when a battery is charged and when a battery is used, in a circuit that has a battery charger and a USB connection. I wanted to know how the current flows when the battery is being used, and how does it flow when it is being charged.

This is the diagram that I came up with http://imgur.com/a/xMAmJ . In the top picture, the red arrows are what I think the electricity is going to flow through, to the inputoutput voltage regulator. But why woudlnt it just take the short route and go though the blue path?

In the second diagram, the one below, it is what I think happens when a battery is being charged. Now the electricity is flowing into the battery. How can it be that beofre the electricity was flowing from the battery and now it is flowing into it?? (is it because the USB is 5V and the battery 3.7v, so the battery is now a lower voltage and the electricity flows to it? Also, does th electricity also take the blue path, or does it now come from VBUS because that is a higher voltage?

2

Top diagram:- I see a blue line but that is not a path, it is just a blue line.

Bottom diagram:- electricity flows along both the red path into the battery and the blue path into U2.

is it because the USB is 5V and the battery 3.7v, so the battery is now a lower voltage and the electricity flows to it?

Yes.

Try and be more precise in your language it is current that flows not electricity.

3

Grumpy_Mike:
Top diagram:- I see a blue line but that is not a path, it is just a blue line.

Bottom diagram:- electricity flows along both the red path into the battery and the blue path into U2.
Yes.

Try and be more precise in your language it is current that flows not electricity.

Thanks for your answer Grumpy_Mike! I'll try to be more precise with my language next time.

4

In the second diagram, the one below, it is what I think happens when a battery is being charged. Now the electricity is flowing into the battery. How can it be that beofre the electricity was flowing from the battery and now it is flowing into it??

Right! Current flows the opposite direction when the battery is being charged and it's not functioning as a power-source.

Look at [u]this picture[/u]. Current is flowing in a circle... It's flowing from positive-to-negative in the resistor but it's flowing from negative-to-positive through the battery (or other voltage source).

Note that "conventional current flow" (positive-to-negative) is a concept that you learn when you study electronics. If you take a physics class, you'll learn that electrons flow from negative-to-positive.