When a current is passed through a conductor, will it be charged?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether a conductor becomes charged when a current is passed through it. Participants explore the nature of charge carriers in conductors, the implications of current flow, and the concept of net charge in relation to magnetism.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants explain that charge carriers in a conductor are not excess charge carriers, and the number of free charge carriers balances the stationary ions, resulting in a net charge of zero regardless of current flow.
  • One participant questions the implications of having an excess charge on a conductor in a circuit, prompting a consideration of the source of such charge.
  • Another participant discusses the behavior of charge carriers during current flow, suggesting that while they may bunch up, this does not imply a net charge but rather relates to the concept of magnetism, which is frame dependent.
  • There is a suggestion that excess charge could arise from electrons entering one end of a conductor while an equal amount exits the other end, indicating a dynamic process rather than a static charge accumulation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of current flow and charge distribution in conductors, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a consensus on the nature of charge during conduction.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the complexity of charge behavior in conductors, including the dependence on definitions of charge and the frame of reference, which are not fully resolved.

Rozwind
Please explain me the following answer

Q)When a current is passed through a conductor, will it be charged?
A)Charge carriers participating in conduction in a conductor are not excess charge carriers. The number of free charge carriers is equal to the number of opposite charge on the nearly stationary ions of the material such that the net charge is zero, whether or not a current is passed through the conductor.

Also, explain me why is the net charge zero even if current is passed through the conductor.
 
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What is your opinion and what have you found out for yourself?
Ask yourself what would happen if there were an excess charge on a conductor in a circuit. Where would it have come from?
 
Rozwind said:
...explain me why is the net charge zero even if current is passed through the conductor.
When current flows, the charge carriers (from your point of view) bunch up but, to avoid confusion, since this net charge is frame dependent, it's called magnetism, not charge.
 
sophiecentaur said:
...if there were an excess charge on a conductor in a circuit. Where would it have come from?
The excess charge could come from electrons entering one end of a conductor before a like amount leave the other end.
 

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