Does charge transfer through field lines?

[vitality00]

in other words do electrons flow through electric field lines, (I know stupid question but need reassurance about something)

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Yes, they constantly flow through the field lines and interacting by exchanging packets of energy, or quanta, known as photons, if I recalled correctly.

[studiot]

 

(I know stupid question but need reassurance about something)

 

You have posted two questions in modern and theoretical physics that on the face of them could (should) be in classical physics.

 

Unless you are looking at relativistic effects.

 

So would you like to elaborate both on the context and detail of your question(s) so that others like myself can understand it?

[swansont]

 

in other words do electrons flow through electric field lines, (I know stupid question but need reassurance about something)

 

What flowing "through" them supposed to mean? Electric field lines aren't a substance or anything; they merely tell you the direction of the electrostatic force. Electrons will be deflected opposite of the direction of the lines, but their overall motion also depends on any initial velocity they have.

[Nicholas Kang]

Yes, they constantly flow through the field lines and interacting by exchanging packets of energy, or quanta, known as photons, if I recalled correctly.

That was stupid of me to post something when I am just partly sure about it. Please follow both swansont and studiots` explanation, not mine. but I can be sure that photons are responsible for EM radiations.

[ajb]

but I can be sure that photons are responsible for EM radiations.

Yes, but photons do not carry charge... electromagnetic theory is an abelian gauge theory

Edited September 11, 2014 by ajb

[Enthalpy]

Field lines are just a graphical help for us to imagine a field. We can use more, we can use less of them. So clearly electrons won't care about.

 

Then you can have electric field lines through an insulator, where electrons often don't flow. Or through vacuum, where electrons must first be brought, and then the inital speed may determine more the electrons' path.

 

An added magnetic field influences electrons as well. Or gravity, but usually little.

 

One case where electrons would flow along the direction of the electric field is a conductor or resistor. But an isotropic one: in single-crystal graphite you could have the electric field in one direction and the current shifted to the direction of easier flow.