Home Propeller Head Plaza

Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics.

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Propeller Head Plaza ]
[ Alert Moderator ]

RE: "How electricity flows in an AC circuit"

No, that's incorrect. The electrons change direction according to the audio waveform. That's why you need two conductors for each speaker cable, each conductor carries 1/2 of the audio waveform. The audio waveform is produced by the amplifier. What this means is that free electrons in the conductors change directions on both + and - as often as 20,000 times per second or more.

Unlike AC out of the wall that alternates at 60 HZ the AC in speaker cables alternates at audio frequencies, 20-20k Hz. The electrons move back and forth at the instantaneous audio frequency whatever it may be.

When electrons move toward the speaker on one conductor they move in the opposite direction on the other wire and vice versa. That's how the speakers produce the acoustic audio waveform. The free electrons move only about one meter per hour, so there is no time to accelerate or decelerate. They only move about a millionth of an inch or so at a time. If you reverse the + and - wires on the speaker you reverse it's polarity.


Edits: 08/09/22 08/09/22
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Schiit Audio  

Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups
FAQ

Post a Message!

 Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]