Current flows through our technological society. Everything we label, watch, and touch is in some way affected by current. What I mean by that is simple to understand, when we go to label something, weather it be products or employees, we typically make use of a computer and the computer itself is a product of electric current and electrical potential (as well as many other things). I want to take a moment to mold a picture. Imagine that you are an electron moving in an electrostatic system. You ask yourself, "Why am I, an electron, moving in this electrostatic system?" Well I'm glad you asked, see electrons DO move in electrostatic systems but they do not experience any NET displacement. So you take a deep breath and say "thank god."
Now I take you, an electron randomly moving (without any net displacement) in an electrostatic system and place an electric field over you. You begin to move with a net displacement. You say "Wow, it sure feels good to actually be covering some ground!" You are without doubt moving with a drift velocity within this comfy conducting home in which you have been placed. The electric field is exerting a force on you in the direction of your displacement, so the field is working on you! As this field works on you most of what you feel is transferred into heat as a by-product. To bad the E field isn't more effective!! I hope you have enjoyed your little vacation along the conductor!
Stay tuned for more SPOs! (stories of physical objects)
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