directional cables?


My IC cables are directional, with arrows pointing the way they should be hooked-up. Q: Should they run with the arrows pointing to my cd player, or to my integrated amp? Thanks.
tbromgard

Herman

I took that to mean you disagreed that current was the flow of charges since I don't see any other way to read that statement.

I don't see how you could have taken it that way.

The original poster claimed that current was the flow of charge, not electrons. I said that was incorrect, that current was indeed the flow of electrons and reminded him that electrons were the charge carriers. In other words, in the context here, electrons and charge were one and the same.

If that is not what you meant then I apologize.

No problem.

By the way, what happened to the rest of your post? When I read it the fist time, I recall your saying something about positive charge carriers in materials other than metals.
Simply_q

Once again - Electric current is a flow of charge ALONE. At 1kHz electrons are practically standing still (vibrating +/-0.0001mm) NEVER MOVING ALONG THE CABLE while charge is reaching destination with almost speed of light (0.6-0.7).
Electrons might be carriers and you can calculate numbers from amperage but they don't "Flow" - charge does.

Herman - for that reason never apply DC to expensive audio cable or you will slowly loose good electrons you paid for (just kidding).
Mr Simple, I decided the stuff in my last post about positive charges really didn't relate to your response so I deleted it.

I see what you mean but by defintion current is not the flow of electrons, it is the flow of charge. Since we're talking about cables then electrons are indeed moving about but you don't have to have moving electrons to have electric current since it is sometimes positive charges.
Refer to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_current

Since the flow of charged electrons is relatively easy to envision it is used a lot, an analogy to water is often used even though it breaks down if you try to apply to all electrical phenomna. To truly understand what is happening you need to move beyond the electron model and think in terms of energy, in terms of electromagnetic waves, in terms of things where the math gets so complicated most people including me can't understand it well enough to even know what it is they are missing. However, I do know enough to understand that electron flow can't explain everything happening in electronics.

Rrog, yes, why would that suprise you? If I am wrong I am willing to admit it, unlike others around here. However, after reading Mr Simple's response I think I may have been correct since he is indeed equating flowing electrons with flowing charge,

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Herman - In addition people believe that since charge flows back and forth (AC) energy does the same and directionality of the cable doesn't exist. Energy flows one direction from source to destination. Some explanation here:
http://amasci.com/miscon/whatdef.html

Companies like Audioquest mark direction on their speaker wires (sold per ft). They claim audible difference since wire was drawn one direction and there is certain "grain" of crystals. I would not listen to such claims but I remember that copper oxide is a semiconductor. I believe they know more than I do.