a fundamental question on basic electricity flow

@piyushh-O70sb6 • Oct 22, 2024

Oct 22, 2024

1.0K

hey Friends i am very new here.its my 1st question over here...let me first give my short introduction..i am piyush , an electronics and communication third year student..
today i got a fundamental question related to electricity flow after watching a movie named "3 idiots" ..its a nice bollywood movie based on three engineering student..i'll tell u later..that from where that question emerged in my mind..sorry sorry...let me come to the question..well can anybody tell me if we provide a high potential(i.e current) to a water stream.(assume water falling from a tap)...flowing..opposite to the direction of current flow....will the magnitude of current will decrease or increase??..because if the direction of water flow is opposite to the direction of potential we applied..that is in opposite direction of current...its quite obvious that every particle including charge carriers..flow opposite in current's direction...so will that effect the magnitude of the net current flowing through it??because conventionally current flows when positive charges flow in that direction....if we consider electrons flow..i.e in opposite in cuttent..then ..i guess current should increase..is that my correct?

Like 0 Replies 10

Replies

Welcome, guest

Join CrazyEngineers to reply, ask questions, and participate in conversations.

CrazyEngineers powered by Jatra Community Platform

reachrkata

@reachrkata-FOcqhH • Jan 6, 2010

Hmm. I think you would not see any appreciable difference. The speed of electron flow is so fast compared to the speed of water flow that there would be no difference.

Perhaps theoretical calculations may give some nA or pA of difference !!

-Karthik
Prasad Ajinkya

@prasad-aSUfhP • Jan 6, 2010

Lol. Piyush, some smart thinking there 😀
But I have to agree with reachrkata here, the difference would be negligible.

Although by your reasoning, we should be able to create a higher current if the rate of flow of the medium is faster. Is that a potential energy source there?
piyushh

@piyushh-O70sb6 • Jan 6, 2010

thank you reachrkata#-Link-Snipped-# and kidakaka...i agree wit your answer ..but again there is a question..that ..because if we will assume the current as the flow of positive charge then it will decrease its magnitude..but if we take the current flow as flow of electrons in opposite direction then it will increase it....the net current will increase or decrease?.
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jan 6, 2010

Piyush: Isn't the flow of electrons and flow of positive charge one and the same thing? Just that they happen in opposite directions.

Going to the basics, a positive charge is absence of electron (negative charge). Electricity is the flow of electrons; positive charge is taken into consideration to make the understanding easier (I guess 😉 ).
piyushh

@piyushh-O70sb6 • Jan 7, 2010

ya ya agree ..its only convention....but sorry may be you didnt get my question...but here the current flow is through the water floweing in opposite direction....actually if we consider electrons..then the water flow direction will support the flow of matter particles which consist of electrons also..finally current will increase...quite obvious😕..but if we consider positive charge then the flow of water will be against the flow positive charge then the net flow of +ve charge is less in direction of current and ofcourse the magnitude of current will be less..so what should we consider..if i am wrong ten please help me ..where?
Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jan 7, 2010

piyushh
ya ya agree ..its only convention....but sorry may be you didnt get my question...but here the current flow is through the water floweing in opposite direction....actually if we consider electrons..then the water flow direction will support the flow of matter particles which consist of electrons also..finally current will increase...quite obvious😕..but if we consider positive charge then the flow of water will be against the flow positive charge then the net flow of +ve charge is less in direction of current and ofcourse the magnitude of current will be less..so what should we consider..if i am wrong ten please help me ..where?
I did understand your question, Piyush. I'm only saying that positive charge is just the absence of electron (that is, negative charge). Positive charge is said to move in one direction when electrons flow in the opposite direction.
piyushh

@piyushh-O70sb6 • Jan 7, 2010

ok never mind
so according to that we must consider only electrons?..means the current must sligtly increase?.ya your answer is satisfacrory sir if we consider electrons...coz +ve charge is only absence of charge...thank you
jerryoutspoken

@jerryoutspoken-fGJued • Jan 8, 2010

firstly, the bulb takes same time to glow whether the wire be 10 metre or 1000 metre ..this means, it's not the speed of electrons that matters but what happens is that the eletrons starts moving at every point of wire where there is potential difference..and hence it takes same time for letting the bulb to glow i.e for 10 metres or 1000 metres .......

secondly,the current flows only due to flow of electrons ...it's only the conventional current whose direction is opposite to it.

In a similar analogy there will not be any difference in the current magnitude in case of the question regarding "the three idiots"😁
😎😁😁
piyushh

@piyushh-O70sb6 • Jan 8, 2010

i guess..there will be some time difference jerry ,if the wire length is different....i have one example..the CMOS circuits fabricated on a single wafer..are much more faster then that of discrete circuit..on pcb..due to the fact that there are no large interconnecting wires in IC(integrated circuit) or single wafer...its the fact that proves the wire length does matter in terms of speed..or say in terms of time delay..and ofcource..it does matters in case of ur bulb..as well for my question..
piyushh

@piyushh-O70sb6 • Jan 8, 2010

jerryoutspoken
firstly, the bulb takes same time to glow whether the wire be 10 metre or 1000 metre ..this means, it's not the speed of electrons that matters but what happens is that the eletrons starts moving at every point of wire where there is potential difference..and hence it takes same time for letting the bulb to glow i.e for 10 metres or 1000 metres .......

secondly,the current flows only due to flow of electrons ...it's only the conventional current whose direction is opposite to it.

In a similar analogy there will not be any difference in the current magnitude in case of the question regarding "the three idiots"😁
😎😁😁
😀well...jerry 1st better watch d movie..and i think nobody have seen the electrons..ever..its quite obvious..that the property of electricity had favoured the existance of electrons...rather u can take +ve charge flow..for your convenience....as far as three idiots are concerned..its the movie based on the reality of three extra brilliant engineering students..from the book "5 points someone" of Mr Chetan Bhagat