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this post was submitted on 12 May 2024
405 points (97.4% liked)
Mildly Interesting
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This is for strictly mildly interesting material. If it's too interesting, it doesn't belong. If it's not interesting, it doesn't belong.
This is obviously an objective criteria, so the mods are always right. Or maybe mildly right? Ahh.. what do we know?
Just post some stuff and don't spam.
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What? No. Electricity takes all conductive paths through a circuit simultaneously, with a current in inverse proportion to the path resistance. Ground means nothing unless it somehow makes up a part of the circuit - it is neither a “sink” nor “zero” for electricity. It’s just dirt.
Electricity always needs somewhere to go. Generally you can refer to where it goes, as a "Ground" I said "This is extremely simplified" for a reason.
I don't actually understand what you're trying to say, all I was saying is that Electricity is indeed going to take all possible paths, until it finds the one with the least resistance, which is what I believe you said just in a different way. You are a part of that circuit for a very miniscule, brief second, upon adding yourself (touch).
A battery (or transformer secondary) has two terminals - neither is “ground”, and electricity will flow between them if a circuit is formed.
Often, one terminal of a battery or transformer is connected to a ground stake, so it’s possible for ground to become part of the circuit. But ground is not any kind of natural destination for electricity. (Other than lightning, which is a result of a charge forming between the earth and the clouds)
it doesn’t “find” the path of least resistance. It takes (flows along) all possible paths simultaneously. If you connect two wires in parallel between the terminals of a battery, one of which is thick (resistance) and one of which is thin (high resistance), current will flow along both.
You are taking my extremely simple analogy and making it complex. Good job!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10593226/