What Is Actually Consumed in a Closed Circuit?

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In summary, The conversation discusses the concept of energy and its conversion in a closed circuit electricity system. The question of what exactly is being consumed in the circuit is raised, with the response being that it is not a matter of consumption but rather transformation of chemical energy into electrical energy and then into heat and light. The speaker also ponders whether energy is a particle or a wave.
  • #1
munky99999
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Well since I can create and destroy energy. HAHA jk.

Ok thinking way back, in Gr. 11, I asked a question nobody would answer. Which is bothering me now. We were doing closed circuit electricity, from a battery and well since they were wrong obviously about the protons moving, it was the electrons. I asked "So electrons potential energy is converted to the energy for the light?" The answer I got was, "No, no electrons are consumed at all, they are rather the transportation devices for energy."

The question I never got the answer to was. "So if electrons mass nor kinetic energy is being consumed in the circuit. What exactly is being consumed?"

Which I'm wondering, is energy a particle or a wave?

What exactly?
 
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  • #2
The electron's potential energy is being consumed. An electron moving through a 1 V potential difference gains 1 eV of energy.

- Warren
 
  • #3
It is not so much that something is consumed. Rather, chemical energy is transformed into electrical energy (battery), which in turn is transformed into heat and light (lamp).

If you look at the universe a certain way, it might seem to be all a big mess of various forms of energies transforming into others.
 

FAQ: What Is Actually Consumed in a Closed Circuit?

1. Can energy be created and destroyed?

Yes, according to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred from one form to another.

2. How is energy created?

Energy can be created through various processes, such as chemical reactions, nuclear reactions, and electromagnetic induction. However, it cannot be created from nothing, as it always comes from another form of energy.

3. Can humans create energy?

Yes, humans can create energy through various means, such as burning fossil fuels, using generators to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, and even through our own bodily processes.

4. Can energy be destroyed?

No, energy cannot be destroyed. It can only be converted into a different form. For example, when a battery is used to power a device, the chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrical energy, which is then used to power the device. The energy is not destroyed, but rather transformed.

5. Is it possible to create more energy than we use?

No, it is not possible to create more energy than we use. This is due to the law of conservation of energy, which states that the total energy in a closed system remains constant. Therefore, the amount of energy we use cannot exceed the amount of energy we have available.

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