RIP: Betty Holberton

From: Eric J. Korpela <korpela_at_ssl.berkeley.edu>
Date: Wed Dec 12 15:26:53 2001

> If the speed of an electron in a wire is equal to the speed of light (IIRC,
> it's slower than light), then an electron will travel about 11.80 inches in
> one nanosecond, which is the point Hooper was trying to illustrate.

It's the electric field that propogates, moving electrons are a side effect.
The average speed free electrons in wire is such that they essentially never
get from one end to the other.

Eric
Received on Wed Dec 12 2001 - 15:26:53 GMT