If I read this correctly, I have to object that this is just the
"misconception" which Chabay, Sherwood, etc are trying to dispel. The
current does not consist of a train of electrons (or other carriers)
pushing each other along. Each carrier is driven by the local E field due
to the excess surface (and other) charges which gathered during the
turn-on transient. The effect of neighboring carriers is nullified by the
effect of the ion lattice.
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Beaty" <billb@ESKIMO.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: "Electric current" does not mean "electron flow"
An electric circuit is analogous to a leather belt which is wrapped around
some pulleys. When one pulley is forced to turn, the whole belt turns.
Or in other words, forcing the belt to turn will inject energy into the
whole belt all at once. If the belt extends for miles, then it can be
used to transmit mechanical energy across long distances. All this is
also true of electric circuits, but in that case the leather belt is
replaced by a "hydraulic fluid" made of charged particles rather than
protein molecules.