{{short description|Connection point in electronic circuits}} {{Other uses|Terminal (disambiguation)}} {{redirect|Pole (electrical circuits)|the poles of switches|Switch#Contact terminology}} thumb|upright=0.3|Terminal symbol [[File:Terminal strip.jpg|thumb|A terminal strip, to which wires can be soldered]]
A '''terminal''' is the point at which a conductor from a component, device or network comes to an end.<ref name="interfacebus">{{cite web |url=http://www.interfacebus.com/Glossary-of-Terms_T.html |title=Definitions of Technical Terms - 'T' to 'Ter' |website=Electronic Engineering Dictionary |last1=Davis |first1=Larry |date=4 January 2012 |access-date=1 July 2019}}</ref> ''Terminal'' may also refer to an electrical connector at this endpoint, acting as the reusable interface to a conductor and creating a point where external circuits can be connected.<ref name="zvei">{{cite book |url=https://www.zvei.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Presse_und_Medien/Publikationen/2016/November/Connectors_Technologies-and-Trends_engl/2016-11_Imagebroschuere_Steckverbinder_engl.pdf |title=Connectors - Technologies and Trends |date=August 2016 |publisher=ZVEI - German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association |page=51}}</ref><ref name="eng-dict">{{cite web |title=Terminal definition by Babylon’s free dictionary |url=https://dictionary.babylon-software.com/terminal/ |website=Babylon NG |at=terminal n 2 |last1=Barach |first1=John |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701022059/https://dictionary.babylon-software.com/terminal/ |archive-date=1 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> A terminal may simply be the end of an electrical wire or it may be fitted with a connector or fastener.{{citation needed|reason=Does the bare end of a wire really count as a terminal?|date=July 2019}}
In network analysis, ''terminal'' means a point at which connections can be made to a network in theory and does not necessarily refer to any physical object. In this context, especially in older documents, it is sometimes called a '''pole'''. On circuit diagrams, terminals for external connections are denoted by empty circles.<ref name="symbols">{{cite web |url=https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/analogue_circuits/circuits-symbols-diagrams/wires-switches-connectors.php |title=Circuit Symbols for Wires, Cables, Switches, Connectors |website=Electronics Notes |access-date=1 July 2019}}</ref> They are distinguished from nodes or junctions which are entirely internal to the circuit and are denoted by solid circles.<ref name="symbols-handbook">{{cite book |title=Electronics Symbols Handbook |publisher=Cleveland Institute of Electronics |url=https://www.cie-wc.edu/Electronics_Symbols_Handbook_CIE.pdf |access-date=1 July 2019 |page=6 |archive-date=4 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504114115/https://www.cie-wc.edu/Electronics_Symbols_Handbook_CIE.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
All electrochemical cells have two terminals (electrodes) which are referred to as the anode and cathode or positive (+) and negative (–). On many dry batteries, the positive terminal (cathode) is a protruding metal cap, and the negative terminal (anode) is a flat metal disc {{crossreference|selfref=no|text=(see Battery terminal)}}. In a galvanic cell such as a common AA battery, electrons flow from the negative terminal to the positive terminal, while the conventional current is opposite to this.<ref>{{cite web |title=An introduction to redox equilibria |url=http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/redoxeqia/introduction.html#top |publisher=Chemguide |accessdate=4 July 2019}}</ref>
== Types of terminals == {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} * Connectors * Line splices * Terminal strip, also known as a tag board or tag strip * Solder cups or buckets * Wire wrap connections (wire to board) * Crimp terminals (ring, spade, fork, bullet, blade) * Turret terminals for surface-mount circuits * Crocodile clips * Screw terminals and terminal blocks * Wire nuts, a type of twist-on wire connector * Leads on electronic components * Battery terminals, often using screws or springs * Electrical polarity {{div col end}}
== See also == * Electrical connector – many terminals fall under this category{{citation needed|reason=Does the bare end of a wire really count as a terminal?|date=July 2019}} * Electrical termination – a method of signal conditioning{{citation needed|reason=Does the bare end of a wire really count as a terminal?|date=July 2019}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Electronic engineering Category:Electrical components