Question about the nature of electrons and the strong force

In summary: Otherwise, a quick summary is that the attraction between like charges is what keeps electrons close to each other to create a current, and this is why metal surfaces have a higher resistance to electricity than nonmetal surfaces.
  • #1
noblegas
268
0
How can electrons that make up a current not repel each other at far distances due to their like charges? I understand why protons are bunched up together , because of the strong force. Though electrons are not packed up against one another like protons and neutrons, they are still a short distance apart from each other that's needed to create a current. Since the strong force is not governing the motion of electrons, what phenomena prevents electrons from spreading far apart from each other?
 
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  • #2
Electrostatic attraction to protons or to nuclei. The average positive and negative charge densities in metals are equal.
 
  • #3
Bob_for_short said:
Electrostatic attraction to protons or to nuclei. The average positive and negative charge densities in metals are equal.

How does your explanation answer my question about why electrons do not widely fly apart but instead you can bring electrons close enough to each other to produce a current?
 
  • #4
If the electrons fly apart, the positively charged nuclei will remain and create such an attractive field that the electrons will return to neutralize it.
 
  • #5
noblegas said:
How does your explanation answer my question about why electrons do not widely fly apart but instead you can bring electrons close enough to each other to produce a current?

There are a couple of issues here. Inside an atom, the electron is bound by the attraction of the positive charge of the nucleus.

As to a current, this is usually modeled by a lattice arrangement where electrons have a degree of freedom to move from atom to atom.

So the presence of "extra" electrons and atoms with "missing" electrons (within the lattice structure) leads to a current from one place to the other. The net result being a more stable arrangement, in simple terms. It is not that hard to bring one electron near another, although clearly the repulsive force increases as they get closer. So generally, if the atom is not binding them, they do tend to repel. There are other fundamental issues as well, such as the Pauli exclusion principle.

So if there is something specific you are driving at, you might want to lay that out.
 

Related to Question about the nature of electrons and the strong force

1. What is the nature of electrons?

The nature of electrons is that they are subatomic particles with a negative charge. They are fundamental particles, meaning they cannot be broken down into smaller components. They are also considered to be point particles, meaning they have no known internal structure.

2. How do electrons interact with each other?

Electrons interact with each other through electromagnetic forces. They repel each other due to their negative charges, but can also form bonds with each other by sharing or transferring electrons.

3. What is the strong force?

The strong force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, along with gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak force. It is responsible for holding together the nucleus of an atom by binding protons and neutrons together. It is the strongest of the four forces, but only acts over very short distances.

4. How does the strong force relate to electrons?

The strong force does not directly interact with electrons, as it only acts on particles within the nucleus. However, electrons indirectly benefit from the strong force as it keeps the nucleus stable and allows for the formation of atoms, which are essential for the existence of electrons.

5. Can the strong force be overcome or broken?

The strong force is a fundamental force and cannot be broken or overcome. However, it can be overcome in certain extreme conditions, such as in nuclear reactions or at the high temperatures and pressures found in the early universe. These conditions can cause the strong force to be overcome, resulting in the breakdown of the nucleus.

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