directional cables?

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?

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Rrog

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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.

Jea, I'm sorry I didn't explain myself well enough as you have completely missed my point.

If you take the time to read and think about my last few posts you will see my point has nothing to do with fuses or motor plates or amp clamps or anything like that. It only has to do with the fact that "flow of alternating current" makes no literal sense. Of course there is this convention that we describe what is happening with that phrase. We also say that the sun rises in the east and moves across the sky when any educated person knows it is actually the earth that is moving.

We're stuck with it and I will continue to use it since everyone understands what we are talking about, but using the term flowing to describe something that is moving back and forth in a periodic way is only done in AC. It is a misnomer.

Yes, I know my position flies in the face of conventional wisdom and I'll be labeled a booger eating moron for bringing it up but if you dig around you will find others who find fault with the phrase. I do understand the backlash though since from the first day you were sitting in a class about AC the instructors used that phrase. That doesn't make it technically correct.

I don't know how else to explain myself. I would just ask you to give it some thought.

Now, to this matter.

Me..... The only thing that is really important here is the movement of the electromagnetic wave from source to load.

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

The movement of the EM wave is not current. The energy in the wave is absorbed by the load and converted into some other form of energy such as heat or light or if the load is an antenna it is radiated off into space. It does not flow back to the source.

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