Re:Why is Maxwell's theory so hard to understand? (2007) [pdf]
by Koshkin on Monday January 29, 2024 @09:46PM
(#39185821)
> Current moves far faster than electrons.
Current is the movement of charges. It cannot “move” faster than said charges. (Or, perhaps, you meant the electomotive force that makes the electrons move along the wire, then sure, that thing spreads pretty quickly.)
Re:Why is Maxwell's theory so hard to understand? (2007) [pdf]
by s1artibartfast on Monday January 29, 2024 @10:55PM
(#39186228)
yes, the EM force, Field, or whatever it is called. I still struggle, mostly because I was taught a fundamentally flawed model for how electrical power is transmitted.
Re:Why is Maxwell's theory so hard to understand? (2007) [pdf]
by nightlyherb on Monday January 29, 2024 @11:08PM
(#39186307)
Current is about the throughput of electrical charge at a specific point of an electrical circuit, while what you're describing seems to be about the latency or the speed of electricity.
Current moves far faster than electrons. it is more similar to a wave in the ocean with the electrons being the water molecule.
As a result, and counterintuitively for most, the speed of electrons will give you a completely wrong answer for when a light will turn on after you flip a switch.