Freeing Electrons from Wires: A How-To Guide

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter karawan
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Electrons Wires
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the feasibility of removing all free electrons from a wire, exploring theoretical and practical implications. It touches on concepts related to atomic interactions, forces between charges, and the nature of free electrons in conductive materials.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the possibility of emptying a wire of its free electrons.
  • Another participant suggests that it could be done with an atomic bomb, implying extreme measures are required.
  • A different viewpoint argues that it is statistically impossible to remove all free electrons.
  • One participant notes that a spark would occur before reaching zero free electrons, referencing static electricity.
  • Another participant discusses the forces involved in separating electrons, emphasizing the significant energy and force required to separate a large number of electrons from a wire.
  • A participant seeks clarification on whether the discussion pertains to all electrons in the metal or only the free-moving ones.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the possibility of removing free electrons from a wire, with no consensus reached on the feasibility or methods involved.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the statistical nature of electron behavior and the forces involved, but do not resolve the underlying assumptions or calculations related to these concepts.

karawan
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
can i empty a wire from its free electron.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes but only with an atomic bomb.
 
no, not possible statistically.
 
Did you consider the energy involved or the force?
The force between two point charges is Q1 Q2/ (4 π ε0 R2) (the Coulomb force)
For a few grams of metal, you're talking of 1023 electrons separated by, a mm or so. Put the numbers into the formula
The force will blow the top of your head off.

Under normal circumstances you only separate a very few of the total number of electrons from the atoms in a piece of wire and you still get a detectable force. When you want to take ALL of them, you get an enormous value for the force. I'll leave you to do the calculation.
 
Just to clarify for myself, is this talking about ALL the electrons in the metal, or only the free ones that freely move around the metal?
 

Similar threads

High School How is surface charge accumulated?
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
7K
Undergrad Number of free conduction electrons in a segment of wire
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Undergrad Angular momentum associated with a current carrying circular wire
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
Undergrad Identical Wires with different voltage--does electron behavior differ?
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
High School Switch-to-lightbulb wire delay
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Why Does My Toaster Hum Due to AC-Induced Magnetic Forces?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
Undergrad Does current decrease inside a wire or does it increase it's velocity?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Undergrad How does the Hall effect interact with the iLB force in a copper wire?
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
2K
Undergrad If an electron is repelled by another electron how do we get current?
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
Undergrad The vector math of relative motion of wire-loop & bar magnet
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K