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If I'm thinking about this correctly, the voltage difference in a conductor between two points of unequal temperature occurs because the chemical potential is lower on the hotter side which causes electrons to bunch up there. Is this correct?
So at equilibrium, the macroscopic observation is such that the combination of chemical and electric potentials are constant throughout the wire (thus when the the chemical potential is lower, the electric potential is higher to compensate).
But my question is, how is it then "possible" to measure a voltage with a multimeter? Don't multimeters let a very small amount of current through in order to measure the voltage? But if the wire is in equilibrium, electrons would NOT move even if there is excess charge at one end. So how does this all work?
So at equilibrium, the macroscopic observation is such that the combination of chemical and electric potentials are constant throughout the wire (thus when the the chemical potential is lower, the electric potential is higher to compensate).
But my question is, how is it then "possible" to measure a voltage with a multimeter? Don't multimeters let a very small amount of current through in order to measure the voltage? But if the wire is in equilibrium, electrons would NOT move even if there is excess charge at one end. So how does this all work?