Final answer:
Electrons, being negatively charged particles, move from regions of higher potential to regions of lower potential in contrast to positive charges that move from higher to lower potential. This movement can be compared to the movement of fluids from high to low pressure. The correct answer is option a .
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns whether electrons move toward regions of higher potential or lower potential within an electric field. To answer this, we first need to understand that electrons are negatively charged particles. An electric potential is defined in terms of the potential energy per unit charge, so at a point where the potential is higher, a positive charge would have more potential energy.
In contrast, because electrons are negatively charged, they will experience a force in the opposite direction to that of a positive charge in an electric field. Thus, electrons move from a region of higher potential to a region of lower potential compared to positive charges which move from areas of higher potential to areas of lower potential. This can be likened to fluid dynamics, where fluid moves from a region of high pressure to low pressure; similarly, electrons will 'flow' from a region where the electric potential is high (negatively influenced) to where it is low.
Finally, when considering electrical circuits and how electrons behave within them, it can be seen that within a metal wire, the electric field is directed from higher to lower potential and electrons - carrying a negative charge - will drift in the direction opposite the electric field, highlighting once again the movement from higher to lower potential.