directional cables?

You can't give me an example of an alternating flow and use the one we are debating i.e. alternating current. Come up with one that does not involve AC.

As for your defense that it is convention, well, that doesn't mean it is a correct. Textbooks are filled with examples of bad ideas that have taken on a life of their own. Yes, I understand what somebody is trying to describe when they they say flow of AC but that doesn't mean it is an accurate description of what is going on, it is simply an agreed upon convention. Well established precedent doesn't mean it really makes any sense. This is science and poorly worded phrases should be corrected and challenged, not just accepted because that's the way it has always been done.

If you want to describe bathing yourself as "washing up" then I know what you mean, but from a scientific standpoint you did not describe what you were doing any more than flow of alternating current describes what we are talking about.

.

Sorry, one more thought and I'm done. As far as I can see we've pretty much flogged this to death.

If that makes no sense, then there are countless physics and electronics texts which make no sense as "flow" is commonly used to describe electric current, both DC and AC and has been for over a century.

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying, it literally makes no sense. The English language is filled with phrases that make no sense. Phrases and terminology that if taken literally are quite ridiculous.

You tried to defend the idea that AC current is a flow based on a phrase that has a long history and therefore assumed must be taken literally. You couldn't truly succeed any more than you can convince me that you wash up even though that is a very common phrase.

Take care, feel free to have the last word.

Herman, I didn't quite get your point. Can you explain it another way please?

..

Rrog

..

The ampere (symbol: A) is the SI unit of electric current[1] and is one of the seven[2] SI base units. It is named after André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836), French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics. In practice, its name is often shortened to amp.

In practical terms, the ampere is a measure of the amount of electric charge passing a point per unit time. Around 6.241 × 1018 electrons passing a given point each second constitutes one ampere.[3]

If you want to describe this wiggling about, this vibration of electrons, this back and forth motion as flow then go right ahead. You are probably the only one doing so but why should it matter to me. The real flow that should be discussed is the flow of that wave.
05-23-10: Herman

No Simply_q is not the only one... More than likely all the Electricians and Linemen around the world call it current flow. ANSI, IEEE, NEC, UL, CSA, call it current flow.

Fuses are rated in amps.
Motor data plates give the FLA (Full Load Amps) of a motor.
Clamp an Amprobe around a current carrying conductor, it measures the flow of AC current in amps...

Whoever started using the term alternating current to describe what we are talking about was an idiot. The only thing that is really important here is the movement of the electromagnetic wave from source to load.
05-23-10: Herman

And from the load back to the source. A closed circuit, current flow...

Ohms Law... E = I x R.... If we know E and we know R then we can find I. I? How much current is flowing in a closed circuit.