- #36
Windadct
- 1,452
- 411
You are correct that moving a charge across a lower PD ( field) absorbes or releases less energy then in a higher PD ( field). In all cases energy is needed ( source ) and is transferred to something else. "Energy needed" "consumed" etc are all a matter of perspective (are you the circuit or the battery)- for this a rechargeable battery is a good model - you have to ADD energy to the battery to charge it - and it delivers energy when it discharges. This is a basic physics model.
The point of the battery is that it generates a voltage, this voltage acts on all of the electrons in the conductor the same way - there is not more action near one terminal of the battery.
It is the presence of the voltage that acts instantly ( technically some speed slightly slower then the speed of light across a conductor) - this voltage make (pushes/pulls) all of the electrons in the conductor at the same time.
Thinking of how the electrons move in an conductor - is 2 -3 levels or more than is required to discuss the OP. When you put 2 batteries in series the voltages add - this is a basic circuit question. How electrons flow in a conductor when a voltage is applied, is physical science ( still an electrical engineering discipline ) - but is not directly related to how a battery operates. Part of the beauty of Electrical Engineering is how well the real world application matches the theory AND how well the theory can be broken into very simple elements. So mixing the discussion between the three or four concepts in this thread - is really only making is much more difficult. Batteries/Energy/EMF/Electron flow - each requires their own study - then you can better understand how they interact - but in reality you almost never need to think of them all at the same time to solve any problem.
The point of the battery is that it generates a voltage, this voltage acts on all of the electrons in the conductor the same way - there is not more action near one terminal of the battery.
It is the presence of the voltage that acts instantly ( technically some speed slightly slower then the speed of light across a conductor) - this voltage make (pushes/pulls) all of the electrons in the conductor at the same time.
Thinking of how the electrons move in an conductor - is 2 -3 levels or more than is required to discuss the OP. When you put 2 batteries in series the voltages add - this is a basic circuit question. How electrons flow in a conductor when a voltage is applied, is physical science ( still an electrical engineering discipline ) - but is not directly related to how a battery operates. Part of the beauty of Electrical Engineering is how well the real world application matches the theory AND how well the theory can be broken into very simple elements. So mixing the discussion between the three or four concepts in this thread - is really only making is much more difficult. Batteries/Energy/EMF/Electron flow - each requires their own study - then you can better understand how they interact - but in reality you almost never need to think of them all at the same time to solve any problem.