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imok2

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Oct 21, 2003
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Is this a true statement: Electric current is a flow of energy. Is energy and electricity the same thing?
 
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Comment marked ///\\\Is this a true statement: Electric current is a flow of energy.
///True\\ Is energy and electricity the same thing?
///It depends. Electricity, may represent store energy, e.g. a battery cell. However, the VARs (representing reactive power, and reactive energy) do not produce Watthour energy (active energy). See your kWattHour meter. Only the active power in watts leads to active energy.\\\
 
Well, technically it is partially true and in layman's terms it is a true statement.

Electricity is a 'form' of enegry. Energy comes in various forms such as heat, light, electricity, moving mass (kinetic) and so on.

When electric current flows, energy transfers, just as when water flows, it is at the 'expense' of energy (pump or gravity-potenital energy). This in fact only a conversion of energy from one form to another...but it is not the point of discussion here.

Technically electrical 'energy' is measured in Watts, which is equal to product of the voltage (pressure) and the current (flow). (just like horsepower is a product of head of fluid or pressure and the rate of flow)

Hope this helps.

 
To be more geeky,

Watt is a measure of rate of energy or power, just like horsepower.

Total energy is measured in watts times hours that wattage is used!!

 
"Energy" is a much broader term than "electricity". There are many types of energy, one of which is electricity. Kinetic energy, for example, can exist without electricity. It can be transformed into electricity, however, under certain conditions.

Therefore, energy and electricity are NOT the same thing.
 
This is the answer I was looking for: Therefore, energy and electricity are NOT the same thing. So wwhat do you think of this statement: Charges of Electricity, the stuff that flows within copper wires, is not a form of energy.
 
imok:

Energy is not a material, its an 'effect'. Charge of electricity is mere exchange of electons (this again is a simplified model).

Electrical energey sets of electromagentic waves that pass through conducting material, very much the like a mechanical force created by wind, a hurricane or a volcanic activity sets off 'waves' in seawater! Water molecules themselves are not 'meachanical' energy, likewise electrons or exchange thereof is not electrical enegy rather just a medium to conduct energy in electrical form.
 
Suggestion: In materialism, the energy has a material substance. See for example Einstein's mc**2=dE
taught in high schools. One just should not sleep during physics classes in the high school.
 
jbartos:

You are diverting a topic of discussion and the 'purpose' of the discussion, which is to explain the person asking question that "electricity is a form of energy and it DOES flow through a condcutor".

Besides I was not sleeping in the class of physics. In the the Einstein's equation you indicated above, the mass m is constant untill a (neuclear) reaction takes place which chages the mass to release the energy. But energy itself does not have a mass although is has a relation to the mass!

In the case being discussed here no mass is being coverted to energy or vice versa!!

Its like but heat, another form of energy, does not have a mass although it changes the property of the material(temperature) while passing through it.

At the same time I am not boasting to have studied or understood Einsteins's theory of relativity or neuclear reactions to the extent of being an expert!!!:)))


 
rbulsara (Electrical
Charge of electricity is mere exchange of electons (this again is a simplified model).what do you think of this statement:
In an AC system, the electricity moves back and forth. In other words, it sits inside the wires and vibrates. The electricity does not move forward at all (if it did, that would be a direct current or "DC.") At the same time, the electrical energy moves forward rapidly. Only the electricity "alternates." The electrical energy does not, the energy flows continuously forwards.
 

Jbartos, I don't know what high school you went to. In my high school, one of the best in Greece, Einstein's formula was mentioned. But none of us was expected to understand its implications. Even today, there are not many people in the world who fully understand Einstein's theories.
 

Something else to consider: all known forms of energy have their source in the sun. For example, the energy of falling water is a form of solar energy. The energy from wind is a form of transformed solar energy.

Furthermore, the sun's energy is generated from a nuclear reaction, according to our beloved formula E=mc**2. Therefore, the source of all known energy is nuclear.

Question: is gravitational energy an exception? Is gravity a form of solar energy? In other words, does the earth derive its magnetic properties from the sun?
 
How about this? Electric charge is a form of energy. Electric currrent can be thought of as the flow of electrical charge. Electric current therefore is not a form of energy but a medium for the transmission of energy (in the form of electric charge) from one point to another.

Energy (joules) = charge (coulombs) x potential (volts)
Current (amperes) = coulombs / second
 
Suggestion to rbulsara (Electrical) Oct 24, 2003 marked ///\\\
jbartos:
You are diverting a topic of discussion and the 'purpose' of the discussion, which is to explain the person asking question that "electricity is a form of energy and it DOES flow through a condcutor".
///I commented on what appears to be misleading posting:
""rbulsara (Electrical) Oct 23, 2003
imok:
Energy is not a material, its an 'effect'.""

The "m" in the Einstein's equation is often cited as "mass" which is more or less "materia" and "c" is velocity.\\Besides I was not sleeping in the class of physics.
///I beg your pardon Sir, I did not mean it this personal.\\ In the the Einstein's equation you indicated above, the mass m is constant untill a (neuclear) reaction takes place which chages the mass to release the energy. But energy itself does not have a mass although is has a relation to the mass!
///This is one way to interpret it. Another way to interpret is to see the mass "m" on one side of the equation and the energy change dE on the other side of the equation. This is the materialistic approach. If one says that the mass releases energy that is not materialistic, then one is living in non-materialistic world, which is close to unscientific explanation of existence. What is then the released energy quantum dE. Is it emptiness? What is emptiness or nothing?\\In the case being discussed here no mass is being coverted to energy or vice versa!!
///This is one way to perceive it. If I understand you clearly, the energy is then released by materia into emptiness. Perhaps, some other materia receives it then if it does not disappear in some emptiness. However, energy is changing its forms, and it does not disappear. That is why there are energy converters. Now, if the energy is not materia, then what about some material shielding electromagnetic energy? The material is blocking or absorbing energy. If the energy is nonmaterial or nothing, how could materia block it or absorb it? If one can feel the heat energy, e.g. radiation, is the radiation material energy or nonmaterial energy, i.e. nothing or emptiness?\\Its like but heat, another form of energy, does not have a mass although it changes the property of the material(temperature) while passing through it.
///What about radiation? Is radiated heat such that it does not have any mass?\\At the same time I am not boasting to have studied or understood Einsteins's theory of relativity or neuclear reactions to the extent of being an expert!!!:)))
///Very hamble, Sir. Your statements are impressive.\\
 

Jbartos, don't be surprised that the statement "One just should not sleep during physics classes in the high school" has offended people. That is an offensive and intimidating statement.

Now, the term "materialism" is foreign to physics and science in general. It was invented by some political philosophers who attempted to combine Hegelian dialectic philosophy with materialistic concepts developed by Marx and Engels. We know how political ideologues are: they will "prove" anything that promotes their agenda. These writers would apply such concepts to physics and would conclude, somehow, that everything is material. I could say much more on this but we're already way off topic.

In my view energy is not matter but a property of matter.
 
Suggestion to the previous posting: I consider your views somewhat biased. I use word "materialism" as defined and explained in a standard college dictionary. There no notion of Marx and Engels since the "materialism" is much older than Marx and Engels.
E.g. Funk & Wagnalls "Standard College Dictionary" defines Materialism as:
1. Philos. A. The doctrine that everything in the universe is reducible to matter and can be explained in terms of physical laws. B. The doctrine that physical well-being and material possessions constitute the highest good.
2. Undue regard for the material rather than the spiritual or intellectual aspects of life.

Now, engineering, as the applied science, tends to be very materialistic rather than spiritual. Although, any engineer may say that "engineering is my spiritual religion or Christian Science."
In view of the above facts, to consider the energy material is nothing wrong. I often have to protect myself against stored energy or emanating energy by materia or material layer. The spiritual protection would not help me much. I might even have been electrocuted without the material protection against so-called emanating unmaterial energy. Clearly, the spiritual defense would not suffice.
 
Listen fellas I appreciate your intellect but I am asking some questions and looking for comments from you or any body who want's to partake. How in the world did we get into "materialism" and spiritualism we should stop competing with each other and stick with the format. nespa'?
 
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