With DC straight polarity, the electrode is:

• A. Positive
• B. Negative
• C. Both
• D. None

Answer: (B)

In DC straight polarity, the electrode acts as the negative terminal. This means the current direction has the electrode cooler and the arc heat focused more into the workpiece. The arc thereby delivers deeper penetration into the base metal, while the electrode tip stays cooler and experiences less overheating, which helps electrode life. If you were using the opposite polarity (electrode positive), the heat distribution would shift toward the electrode, producing different welding characteristics. So the electrode being negative is why the best choice is that it’s negative.