[HN Gopher] How do electrons find the "path of least resistance"... ___________________________________________________________________ How do electrons find the "path of least resistance"? [video] Author : GavCo Score : 33 points Date : 2023-04-17 13:13 UTC (9 hours ago) (HTM) web link (www.youtube.com) (TXT) w3m dump (www.youtube.com) | markjspivey wrote: | electrons don't, electricity does . | jonny_eh wrote: | This same youtuber made a video about that: | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vrhk5OjBP8 | jagrsw wrote: | The video is interesting, but I suspect, that the author is | making some subtle errors at places. Tho I'm not 100% sure, last | time I analyzed those subject was at BsC/MsC courses at my uni. | | E.g. he says something to the tune of electrons | take a few ns. running around, and then settle down in the maze. | | IIRC electron flow in a medium is relatively slow, something on | the order of centimeters per second. So it's not electrons which | settle some potentials by moving quickly, but the electric | potential finds its equilibrium. And it finds its equlibrium by | electrons exchanging virtual photons (carries of electromagnetic | force)? | bertil wrote: | The author has a fascinating video (part of a wider effort of | many science YouTubers) that tries to clarify all that. | | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vrhk5OjBP8 | | I'm actually not sure if that makes his explanation more | accurate because it's informed by that, or more regrettably | forced metaphor. But the whole series of videos from different | creators is worth watching if you want to understand the whole | "electrons are moving" thing. | Animats wrote: | Summary: "It's like a whole bunch of stagnant lakes connected to | the same river". | imtringued wrote: | They take all paths weighted by resistance. | KRAKRISMOTT wrote: | With the path integral being an analogue computer. | xracy wrote: | I feel like you just saved me 22m | version_five wrote: | It's funny how we used to say "a picture is worth a thousand | words", and now a YouTube video is worth about five words. | GaggiX wrote: | To be honest the video OP linked is really good at teaching | about electricity if you don't know much about it (and | create a useful mental model). ___________________________________________________________________ (page generated 2023-04-17 23:00 UTC)