Do electrons (as a charge) really flow in a conductor or only energy is transfered through waves? Suppose a metal,copper is taken as a conductor, now when electrons from the metal towards the negative terminal of the battery, the conductor should get charge and must become very unstable.. So my question is, 1. Do electrons literally move in a conductor? 2. What's the phenomenon under which energy is transfered in a conductor?
1. Yes
2. when charges are moving closer together, the lower the PE, and that change of PE does work: lighting bulbs, moving motors, etc. Charge flow does work.
1. Yes, electrons do physically move in a conductor. This movement of electrons is also known as electric current. When a voltage is applied across a conductor, such as a copper wire, it creates an electric field that exerts a force on the free electrons present in the material. This force causes the electrons to drift towards the positive terminal of the voltage source, creating a flow of charge.
To visualize this, think of a line of people passing a basketball to one another. Each person represents an electron, and the basketball represents electric charge. As one person passes the basketball, the next person in line receives it, and this transfer of the basketball continues down the line. Similarly, in a conductor, as one electron moves, it pushes the next electron and transfers its energy, allowing for the flow of charge.
2. The phenomenon under which energy is transferred in a conductor is called electric conduction. When electrons move through a conductor, they collide with the atoms and other free electrons in the material, transferring energy through these collisions. This energy transfer occurs through a combination of two processes:
a. Drift Velocity: The electrons overall drift in a specific direction due to the applied electric field, which imparts kinetic energy to the electrons. This kinetic energy is continuously transferred to the atoms and other electrons during collisions, leading to energy transfer through the conductor.
b. Electron Diffusion: Electrons also experience random thermal motion, known as electron diffusion. This motion causes electrons to collide with each other, leading to energy transfer between them.
So, in summary, while electrons physically move in a conductor to form an electric current, the energy transfer within the conductor occurs through a combination of drift velocity and electron diffusion.