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holly
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I am working on E&M chapters. My professor said to think of electricity as a long line of firemen, an old-time bucket brigade. The guy at the well yells "Go!" and as soon as he yells, the electrical field is established at the speed of light or thereabouts. The fireman way at the end of the line, nearest the fire, throws his bucket. He is the first to throw. He throws the WATER, rather. But, there was already water in the bucket. He didn't need to get the water passed to him. They ALL have water in their buckets to start. Every time you look in a bucket, there's water already there.
Are the electrons the buckets, or the water? Is the charge the water?
One of my ex's says NO NO NO, that's all wet. The electricity in the wire is like the firemen holding hands. One squeezes the other one's hand, then he "passes" the squeeze along to each fireman, all along the whole length. The firemen have their feet firmly on the ground. They are not moving about. They pass the squeeze at almost the speed of light.
But, my professor says they ARE moving about, about a centimenter a second. Am I to believe an electron from Chicago is going to run down the wire all the way to Texas? Some questions in the chapter review ask where the electrons come from in your lightbulb, and the answer is, THEY ARE ALREADY THERE. I hope I'm using Texas electrons, personally.
I HAVE read three other textbooks about this. I have tried to do Google searches such as "electricity very simple explanations" and so forth. The books are just not beginning at a simple enough level. USING THE FIREMEN, or maybe even ants or something, can someone please give me an understandable explanation of the electricity running down the wire? Thank you.
Are the electrons the buckets, or the water? Is the charge the water?
One of my ex's says NO NO NO, that's all wet. The electricity in the wire is like the firemen holding hands. One squeezes the other one's hand, then he "passes" the squeeze along to each fireman, all along the whole length. The firemen have their feet firmly on the ground. They are not moving about. They pass the squeeze at almost the speed of light.
But, my professor says they ARE moving about, about a centimenter a second. Am I to believe an electron from Chicago is going to run down the wire all the way to Texas? Some questions in the chapter review ask where the electrons come from in your lightbulb, and the answer is, THEY ARE ALREADY THERE. I hope I'm using Texas electrons, personally.
I HAVE read three other textbooks about this. I have tried to do Google searches such as "electricity very simple explanations" and so forth. The books are just not beginning at a simple enough level. USING THE FIREMEN, or maybe even ants or something, can someone please give me an understandable explanation of the electricity running down the wire? Thank you.
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