The discussion centers around the behavior of current in wires at extreme AC frequencies, particularly whether high frequencies can lead to a situation where no current flows due to the movement of electrons. The conversation touches on concepts such as the skin effect and impedance in the context of electrical engineering.
Participants express differing views on the implications of high frequency on current flow, with some supporting the idea that current can be affected by frequency while others clarify the mechanisms involved. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the extent to which high frequencies impact current flow.
The discussion involves assumptions about electron movement and the nature of the skin effect, which may not be fully explored or defined by all participants. There are unresolved questions about the relationship between frequency and current flow.
Not really. Current doesn't flow because of electrons "moving from atom to atom" -- they are moving in the conduction band of the metal. It is true that the "resistance" of the wire is higher at higher frequencies because of the skin effect, and the impedance of the wire is higher at higher frequencies because of inductance.gvlr96 said:A work colleague of mine told me that if you have an AC voltage across a wire and the frequency is high enough, there would not be any current, because electrons don't have time to move from one atom from another. Is there any truth behind this?
I am aware of the skin effect, but I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. Would the skin effect be able to cause the same stop in current at high frequency?berkeman said:Not really. Current doesn't flow because of electrons "moving from atom to atom" -- they are moving in the conduction band of the metal. It is true that the "resistance" of the wire is higher at higher frequencies because of the skin effect, and the impedance of the wire is higher at higher frequencies because of inductance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect
Did you get a chance to read through the wikipedia page that I linked to? It's a progressive effect, not a step function...gvlr96 said:I am aware of the skin effect, but I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. Would the skin effect be able to cause the same stop in current at high frequency?