- #1
James MEng
- 6
- 0
I am sure this is a set of naieve question first of all. However i'd appreciate someone taking the time to enlighten me, as my mind is boggled by this and has been for some days now. I have watched numerous videos on the subject of electricity but am still somewhat confused. My issue is taking the theory and translating it to a real world context
With AC power generation in a power station, I assume there are two terminals as in any circuit. AC as I understand it is the shifting of electrons either forwards or backwards through a wire. When users are 'consuming' electricity, I understand this to be a current of charge with some energy giving up that energy. So electrons must flow through the user. What is the user connected to which is at a lower potential difference than what's coming through the live wire? Surely not the wire in itself?
Is there two wires to our houses, one "supply" and one "return" through which the flow of current alternates? With just 1 wire supplying AC I cannot imagine how there is an infinite supply of electrons to the supply (if that makes sense, probably not).
This thread is similar but I couldn't answer my question from it:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=491481
With AC power generation in a power station, I assume there are two terminals as in any circuit. AC as I understand it is the shifting of electrons either forwards or backwards through a wire. When users are 'consuming' electricity, I understand this to be a current of charge with some energy giving up that energy. So electrons must flow through the user. What is the user connected to which is at a lower potential difference than what's coming through the live wire? Surely not the wire in itself?
Is there two wires to our houses, one "supply" and one "return" through which the flow of current alternates? With just 1 wire supplying AC I cannot imagine how there is an infinite supply of electrons to the supply (if that makes sense, probably not).
This thread is similar but I couldn't answer my question from it:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=491481