Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: brstamper on 03/05/2008 02:08:28

Title: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: brstamper on 03/05/2008 02:08:28

Any breaks in the conductor keeps electrons from from flowing through a circuit. true or false?

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: another_someone on 03/05/2008 02:45:36

In DC terms, yes; but in AC terms, you can still have capacitance and induction effects that will cross over breaks.

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: brstamper on 03/05/2008 16:19:45

Thank you.

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: Bored chemist on 03/05/2008 21:06:18

Sorry, but it's one of those questions where "true or false" doesn't quite do the job. The answer is "sometimes".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephson_effect

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: lyner on 03/05/2008 23:37:08

Actually, any joint between conductors can have an oxide layer which, if it weren't for Quantum Mechanics, could prevent a current from flowing.

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: Bored chemist on 04/05/2008 14:03:24

Of course, since in both the quantumn tunneling effects mentioned the "insulating" gap conducts current, the insulator must be a conductor.
Who said quantum physics wan't weird?

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: lyner on 04/05/2008 17:46:28

One day, you could find yourself sitting outside in the street. . .

Title: Re: Do breaks in a conductor affect current flow in a circuit?
Post by: Bored chemist on 05/05/2008 13:50:45

Happens quite often on Saturday mornings, I'm usually accompanied by a traffic cone and a bad head.