Current Carrying Capacity of cables with different voltages

[FAA Greenie]

An Amp is an Amp, is an Amp, regardless of what's pushing it, or pulling it. Think about high voltage transmission lines and the amount of power that they are able to deliver...

 

[plugsandsparks]

arrrr but what speed does that electron manage as its whizzing its way down the cable?

I remember asking this question at school when we were doing O level physics, even though i had to "go with it" for the exams, i really could not see one electron bothering to make its way all the way from Drax power station to my house.

never made sense to me.

 

[sparky351355]

300,000m/s

 

[FAA Greenie]

Well if you really want to get into it, a single electron doesn't have to move along much of the conductor at all, it only has to dislodge another electron from it's neighbouring atom and take it's place. It can then stay in it's new home forever if it's lucky !!!

 

[Darkwood]

In Ac circuits the electrons vibrate pretty much around their own original position so no actual electron migration and in DC the electrons move so slow it make a snail look fast ....... look up 'speed of electricity' on Wiki and learn why everything you are taught is dumbed down and a lie just to make sure you dont get brain overload ..... classical physics is all you need to know .... advanced physics first rule is forget all the crap you were ever taught.

@sparky 351335 .... 300,000m/s is the speed of the propagation of the EMF not the electrons whizzing around as your answer implies if your going to google it make sure you understand what you read..

 

[Silly Sausage]

I've got a half baked theory on the transmission of electrical energy based on entropy.
But I really need to go to bed, so I'll leave it for another day!

 

[Tridentsystems]

Electrons are almost theoretical anyway as they are never where you look for them. Bit like my hand kit when plumbers are around

 

[Darkwood]

Electrons are almost theoretical anyway as they are never where you look for them. Bit like my hand kit when plumbers are around

Not sure how something can be 'almost' theoretical either way i believe you are mis-interpreting German physician Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle where using your Electron example you cannot know both its speed and position at the same time but they can be independently measured...

For many years now we have been able to see electrons by using lasers which take a snapshot so fast its measured in the atto-second scale which is needed due to the speed of say an electron you want to look at on say an Hydrogen atom.
In 2010 Electrons were seen for the first time moving in the outer shell of an Atom in real time.... so you have a little catching up to do

 

[D Skelton]

in DC the electrons move so slow it make a snail look fast

About walking pace. Stephen Fry said it so it must be true!

 

[Darkwood]

About walking pace. Stephen Fry said it so it must be true!

He's quite the intellectual in real life and is full of useless well researched facts.. Quite Interesting i find.