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1 vote
2 answers
192 views

Why chemical energy is doing the work on the electrons to move them from cathode to anode and not some kind of force?

We say that in an electrolytic cell the redox reactions occuring on the electrodes are exothermic and that chemical energy does work on electrons to move them from cathode to anode and this work done ...
-1 votes
1 answer
791 views

Does current flow inside a battery?

When connected in a circuit, does current flow inside a battery. If yes, in which direction?
1 vote
4 answers
1k views

Why exactly do we feel a shock when we place our hand into a conducting solution?

I have a very naive question. Suppose you have pure water in a flask, and you place two ends of a copper wire (which are connected to a battery) into the water. If you were to place your hand into the ...
3 votes
2 answers
226 views

What exactly happens when $\rm NaCl$ water conducts electricity? [closed]

Assume a DC power source with $2$ electrodes made of Fe. We dip those $2$ electrodes into table salt water. What happens exactly? Will $H^+$ and $Na^+$ migrate to the negative electrode by ...
0 votes
1 answer
326 views

Why do batteries need a loop to discharge?

I'm an electrical engineer who has been taught transistors and silison and solid state theory and all that. But when I apply the theory to batteries and cathodic protection, my understanding seems to ...
3 votes
1 answer
867 views

Is Ohm's law valid for water?

I have $E$ (electric field intensity) in water. I want to find $J$ (current density). I don’t know if Ohm's law ($J=\sigma E$) is valid for water. If it is not valid, how do I may find out $J$?
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Kinetic energy and current

When a battery is connected to a resistance circuit, we know that it loses energy because heat is emitted as a result of the collisions between the electrons and stuff, but my question is, is the ...
1 vote
1 answer
655 views

When DC current flows through salty water, how does the current flow? How can you tune the (narowness of) the path?

Consider this very simple and well-known experiment with dirty/salty water: The light bulb turns on, and current is flowing. How can you know how this current is exactly flowing, and how the electric ...
1 vote
2 answers
776 views

Could electricity work with a flow of particles other than electrons?

Would a flow of positrons be theoretically possible? A flow of protons?