Re: reifying energy

[William Beaty <billb@ESKIMO.COM>]

On Thu, 9 May 2002, Brian Whatcott wrote:

> The way that the number of electrons increases across some plane
>   [in some time increment] is by increasing their drift velocity - in my
> (always considered) view.
> I take it that the number of mobile charge carriers in the usual course
> of events is a function of the material, its state, and its cumulative
> volume for any reasonable electric field strength - i.e reasonably
> constant.

Right.  If you calculate the width of the electrons' excursion in, say, 14
gauge wire at 1 ampere AC, you'll find that it's incredibly tiny.  The
electrons move on the order of cm/hour in one direction, then in 120th
second they reverse and go the other way.  It's not like a flow, it's more
like the vibration of air during a sound wave.


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