AC current is the back and forth movement of electrons in a wire. If something uses some of the power, does that mean that there are more electrons moving in one direction and less in the other because some of the electrons are used up powering the thing?

Question

AC current is the back and forth movement of electrons in a wire. If something uses some of the power, does that mean that there are more electrons moving in one direction and less in the other because some of the electrons are used up powering the thing?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Using electricity doesn’t “use up” electrons, just like a water wheel doesn’t “use up” water. It’s the movement that carries the energy. In the case of AC, the power source is jiggling electrons back and forth a few micrometers, all throughout the circuit, and something drawing power in that circuit just makes it harder to move them, requiring more power.