- #1
olaney
- 18
- 3
Background: an ordinary wire supports an external radial electric field proportional to voltage, and an internal axial field equal to current times resistance per unit length. The present question is whether the internal axial field has an external counterpart. The original question that generated this inquiry was:
How does the electric field (therefore the electric force) in a wire remain parallel to the wire even if it is randomly curved (current still flows)?
In a discussion of this, the second question led to the first one. A Poynting vector interpretation of an external tangential component of the E field would indicate power flowing from the conductor into space, even for zero frequency (DC). This seems implausible, hence the question.
How does the electric field (therefore the electric force) in a wire remain parallel to the wire even if it is randomly curved (current still flows)?
In a discussion of this, the second question led to the first one. A Poynting vector interpretation of an external tangential component of the E field would indicate power flowing from the conductor into space, even for zero frequency (DC). This seems implausible, hence the question.