For the though problem, I would not expect the same electrons input at one end to appear at the other. I like the Chinese Checkers analogy. It is moot, though, because there is no way to tag a single electron to follow its movement.

If it's AC then there's no chance at all of getting 'out the other end' what you put in. They just oscillate back and forth (and not the same ones. See below). If it's a DC circuit the odds are only a microscopic amount above zero (if you wait long enough, like the rest of your life).

Even "electron flow" is a bit misleading. It's really the electric FIELD that propagates (at near light speed). The electrons, however, drift at something like a few millimeters per HOUR. Further, they move at random. Assuming a metal conductor, there's not 'one' electron but a cloud around the atom and which one 'moves' is a crap shoot, not to mention, absent an electric field, they 'move' in all directions. The electric field just causes 'some' of them to, on average, move (drift) in the 'proper' direction.

So, the instant your electron enters the conductor it gets captured by an atom. Whether it even moves to another atom is random and then the odds of it moving in the 'right' direction is only a little above zero. Now multiply the 'odds' of it just happening to drift the right way once by of the billions upon billions of atoms along the path and you get a really small number indeed.

We're mostly in agreement, but I think there is a finite chance of getting the same electron out with either DC or AC. To be sure, with AC, the odds are pretty small.......

For more permanent brain damage, how would one ever KNOW if they gotten the same electron??

For AC, if it's the same end there's a miniscule chance. I was assuming you meant 'the other' end.

Yes, there's a 'chance' but it's vanishingly small. So small you might as well call it '0'. You'd be closer than any other number.

But, you'd never know. One electron is pretty much indistinguishable from any other electron, as long as they have the same spin. On the other hand, 'your' electron's spin could randomly flip, so it's a distinction without a difference.

electrons are all the same? Pffffffffff what about their feelings? Their individuality? Their identity??? Electrons are getting pretty tired of hearing "you're all the same"........

oops is that political???? .

Umm, no, you are just being "politically correct"...

solder electrons or copper electrons? and maybe some carbon electrons from a burnt resistor. small amount of electrons equals a small amount of current

Ah, Quantum Mechanics and Theoretical Physics.....heady stuff.

Actually, it is said that there is a slow but calculable movement of individual electrons through a conductor from one end to the other, but the drift velocity is very low, IIRC <1mm/hr.

Some references, since we are on the subject.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/e ... tor.39876/

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/h ... or.574282/

And most likely outdated but improved upon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drude_model

When I was in school, I gave serious thought to becoming a Theoretical Physicist. Kind of glad I didn't. I'd probably have gone insane.


I have studied some of this, casually....but I'll bow out due to my overall lack of knowledge of the topic. But I do find it intriguing, especially with new high temps SC's being developed.