A question about electrons, charges and current












1














Let's talk about DC, a very simple circuit: a light bulb and a battery.



Some authors say that electrons move from negative to positive and current from positive from negative.



I always thought electrons moved in a wire at the light speed, but this video says that charges move very slow in a wire, about 5 centimeter per hour (2 inches per hour).



If electrons are charge carriers, is this video saying that electrons move at 5 cm/hour????



If electrons are that slow how can circuits work?



The video says that electric fields move at light speed.



So, I am not understanding anything.



I aways thought the whole magic were dome by electrons...



What is the correct explanation for this?



Charges, electrons and current?



Is the effect similar to a newton cradle, where one ball knocks the first one and the force is transmitted through the chain?



enter image description here






current charge theory electron







share|improve this question
























  • One of these days I'll have to write a canonical answer, but see electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/245610/… : basically your intuition that it's like the Newtons cradle is correct. For almost all purposes you should ignore electrons.
    – pjc50
    6 hours ago
















1














Let's talk about DC, a very simple circuit: a light bulb and a battery.



Some authors say that electrons move from negative to positive and current from positive from negative.



I always thought electrons moved in a wire at the light speed, but this video says that charges move very slow in a wire, about 5 centimeter per hour (2 inches per hour).



If electrons are charge carriers, is this video saying that electrons move at 5 cm/hour????



If electrons are that slow how can circuits work?



The video says that electric fields move at light speed.



So, I am not understanding anything.



I aways thought the whole magic were dome by electrons...



What is the correct explanation for this?



Charges, electrons and current?



Is the effect similar to a newton cradle, where one ball knocks the first one and the force is transmitted through the chain?



enter image description here






current charge theory electron







share|improve this question
























  • One of these days I'll have to write a canonical answer, but see electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/245610/… : basically your intuition that it's like the Newtons cradle is correct. For almost all purposes you should ignore electrons.
    – pjc50
    6 hours ago














1












1








1







Let's talk about DC, a very simple circuit: a light bulb and a battery.



Some authors say that electrons move from negative to positive and current from positive from negative.



I always thought electrons moved in a wire at the light speed, but this video says that charges move very slow in a wire, about 5 centimeter per hour (2 inches per hour).



If electrons are charge carriers, is this video saying that electrons move at 5 cm/hour????



If electrons are that slow how can circuits work?



The video says that electric fields move at light speed.



So, I am not understanding anything.



I aways thought the whole magic were dome by electrons...



What is the correct explanation for this?



Charges, electrons and current?



Is the effect similar to a newton cradle, where one ball knocks the first one and the force is transmitted through the chain?



enter image description here






current charge theory electron







share|improve this question















Let's talk about DC, a very simple circuit: a light bulb and a battery.



Some authors say that electrons move from negative to positive and current from positive from negative.



I always thought electrons moved in a wire at the light speed, but this video says that charges move very slow in a wire, about 5 centimeter per hour (2 inches per hour).



If electrons are charge carriers, is this video saying that electrons move at 5 cm/hour????



If electrons are that slow how can circuits work?



The video says that electric fields move at light speed.



So, I am not understanding anything.



I aways thought the whole magic were dome by electrons...



What is the correct explanation for this?



Charges, electrons and current?



Is the effect similar to a newton cradle, where one ball knocks the first one and the force is transmitted through the chain?



enter image description here






current charge theory electron




current charge theory electron






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 6 hours ago

























asked 6 hours ago









SpaceDog

437213




437213












  • One of these days I'll have to write a canonical answer, but see electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/245610/… : basically your intuition that it's like the Newtons cradle is correct. For almost all purposes you should ignore electrons.
    – pjc50
    6 hours ago


















  • One of these days I'll have to write a canonical answer, but see electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/245610/… : basically your intuition that it's like the Newtons cradle is correct. For almost all purposes you should ignore electrons.
    – pjc50
    6 hours ago
















One of these days I'll have to write a canonical answer, but see electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/245610/… : basically your intuition that it's like the Newtons cradle is correct. For almost all purposes you should ignore electrons.
– pjc50
6 hours ago




One of these days I'll have to write a canonical answer, but see electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/245610/… : basically your intuition that it's like the Newtons cradle is correct. For almost all purposes you should ignore electrons.
– pjc50
6 hours ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















2














In a metallic wire, electricity propagates as a field, effectively. Electrons move quickly and literally bump into other atoms which (usually) dislodges another electron. This continues down the conductor so the effects of electrical current are seen very quickly.



This is not how electric currents propagate in a superconductor, though.



In that sense, the velocity of electrical propagation is very fast (in a wire it is typically about 63% of the speed of light for reasons I won't go into here. It is known as the velocity factor).



Electric fields (or more accurately electromagnetic fields) propagate at the speed of light in free space.



Any given electron does not travel very far in each of these short hops, but they do move, and a specific electron will move quite slowly. This is known as drift velocity.






share|improve this answer





















  • brilliant explanation, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago










  • Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
    – Scientist Smith YT
    1 hour ago



















5














A very much simplified answer:



Compare the wire to a pipe filled with marbles.



As soon as you push a marble in, immediately another marble pops out of the pipe.



But the marble you have pushed in only travels very slowly towards the end.






share|improve this answer





















  • Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    @SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
    – wbeaty
    1 hour ago











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2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









2














In a metallic wire, electricity propagates as a field, effectively. Electrons move quickly and literally bump into other atoms which (usually) dislodges another electron. This continues down the conductor so the effects of electrical current are seen very quickly.



This is not how electric currents propagate in a superconductor, though.



In that sense, the velocity of electrical propagation is very fast (in a wire it is typically about 63% of the speed of light for reasons I won't go into here. It is known as the velocity factor).



Electric fields (or more accurately electromagnetic fields) propagate at the speed of light in free space.



Any given electron does not travel very far in each of these short hops, but they do move, and a specific electron will move quite slowly. This is known as drift velocity.






share|improve this answer





















  • brilliant explanation, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago










  • Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
    – Scientist Smith YT
    1 hour ago
















2














In a metallic wire, electricity propagates as a field, effectively. Electrons move quickly and literally bump into other atoms which (usually) dislodges another electron. This continues down the conductor so the effects of electrical current are seen very quickly.



This is not how electric currents propagate in a superconductor, though.



In that sense, the velocity of electrical propagation is very fast (in a wire it is typically about 63% of the speed of light for reasons I won't go into here. It is known as the velocity factor).



Electric fields (or more accurately electromagnetic fields) propagate at the speed of light in free space.



Any given electron does not travel very far in each of these short hops, but they do move, and a specific electron will move quite slowly. This is known as drift velocity.






share|improve this answer





















  • brilliant explanation, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago










  • Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
    – Scientist Smith YT
    1 hour ago














2












2








2






In a metallic wire, electricity propagates as a field, effectively. Electrons move quickly and literally bump into other atoms which (usually) dislodges another electron. This continues down the conductor so the effects of electrical current are seen very quickly.



This is not how electric currents propagate in a superconductor, though.



In that sense, the velocity of electrical propagation is very fast (in a wire it is typically about 63% of the speed of light for reasons I won't go into here. It is known as the velocity factor).



Electric fields (or more accurately electromagnetic fields) propagate at the speed of light in free space.



Any given electron does not travel very far in each of these short hops, but they do move, and a specific electron will move quite slowly. This is known as drift velocity.






share|improve this answer












In a metallic wire, electricity propagates as a field, effectively. Electrons move quickly and literally bump into other atoms which (usually) dislodges another electron. This continues down the conductor so the effects of electrical current are seen very quickly.



This is not how electric currents propagate in a superconductor, though.



In that sense, the velocity of electrical propagation is very fast (in a wire it is typically about 63% of the speed of light for reasons I won't go into here. It is known as the velocity factor).



Electric fields (or more accurately electromagnetic fields) propagate at the speed of light in free space.



Any given electron does not travel very far in each of these short hops, but they do move, and a specific electron will move quite slowly. This is known as drift velocity.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 6 hours ago









Peter Smith

13.5k11237




13.5k11237












  • brilliant explanation, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago










  • Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
    – Scientist Smith YT
    1 hour ago


















  • brilliant explanation, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago










  • Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
    – Scientist Smith YT
    1 hour ago
















brilliant explanation, thanks!
– SpaceDog
6 hours ago




brilliant explanation, thanks!
– SpaceDog
6 hours ago












Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
– Scientist Smith YT
1 hour ago




Superconductors do allow small magnetic fields through known as fluxons.
– Scientist Smith YT
1 hour ago













5














A very much simplified answer:



Compare the wire to a pipe filled with marbles.



As soon as you push a marble in, immediately another marble pops out of the pipe.



But the marble you have pushed in only travels very slowly towards the end.






share|improve this answer





















  • Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    @SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
    – wbeaty
    1 hour ago
















5














A very much simplified answer:



Compare the wire to a pipe filled with marbles.



As soon as you push a marble in, immediately another marble pops out of the pipe.



But the marble you have pushed in only travels very slowly towards the end.






share|improve this answer





















  • Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    @SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
    – wbeaty
    1 hour ago














5












5








5






A very much simplified answer:



Compare the wire to a pipe filled with marbles.



As soon as you push a marble in, immediately another marble pops out of the pipe.



But the marble you have pushed in only travels very slowly towards the end.






share|improve this answer












A very much simplified answer:



Compare the wire to a pipe filled with marbles.



As soon as you push a marble in, immediately another marble pops out of the pipe.



But the marble you have pushed in only travels very slowly towards the end.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 6 hours ago









Oldfart

7,9462825




7,9462825












  • Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    @SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
    – wbeaty
    1 hour ago


















  • Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
    – SpaceDog
    6 hours ago






  • 1




    @SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
    – wbeaty
    1 hour ago
















Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
– SpaceDog
6 hours ago




Very Good. I was suspecting something like that, thanks!
– SpaceDog
6 hours ago




1




1




@SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
– wbeaty
1 hour ago




@SpaceDog metals are totally jam-packed with movable electrons. (It's like Ben Franklin's electric fluid! But it's there all the time.) So, an electric circuit is like a drive-belt inside a pipe. That's why currents are closed-loop circles, and require "complete circuits." Notice that the path for current is through the dynamo coils and back out again? Also, the path is through every battery ...so no charge builds up inside. Batteries are "charge pumps," so when we "recharge" them, we're filling them with chemical fuel. (Charged batteries contain just as much electric charge as dead ones!)
– wbeaty
1 hour ago


















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