In a reverse biased diode configuration, which terminal is positive?

In a reverse biased diode configuration, the positive terminal is connected to the cathode of the diode. This arrangement prevents current from flowing through the diode, as the majority charge carriers in the diode are repelled by the applied voltage, which creates a depletion region that reinforces the reverse bias.

When a diode is reverse biased, the anode is connected to a lower potential than the cathode. This means that the cathode becomes the side that is positively charged relative to the anode, leading to the situation where current conduction is inhibited. Essentially, this setup allows the diode to block current under normal conditions, except for a very small leakage current that may flow due to minority carriers.

The other answer choices do not align with this concept: the anode being positive would imply the diode is forward biased; stating both terminals are positive is incorrect because only one terminal is at a higher potential; stating that neither terminal is positive does not accurately describe the situation of reverse bias where the cathode is indeed positive relative to the anode.