Yes, but remember that the conductor is already 'full' of electrons. By pushing more in at one end you simply cause more to fall out of the other end so no mass change in the actual conductor.
[quote[However, if there is a 'charge' on a conductor, then there is an imbalance, a conductor can either have a larger amount of Electrons making it negatively charged, or a smaller amount of electrons making it positively charged.[/quote]
No, there is no real change in the actual conductor. It neither gains or loses electrons. If it did then the nature of the material itself would change. Remember atoms of a particular material have a fixed number of components. Change that number and you have a different material. The charge comes only from the potential of the charge source - the conductor is simply a transfer medium.
Yes, but thats not really relevent in this context. The conductor itself has no inherant potential difference of its own. The conductor is simply the conduit through which charge can easily flow.
Thats true. Without imbalances every point would be identical to every other point which would, in effect, be a total stasis. Not even time or gravity could exist in such a situation,
Very true. The term insulator is actually a relative term. If you generate a big enough potential then any material can be made to conduct electricity
Yes, but dont mistake the conductors themselves for current sources. The conductors are simply conduits through which electrical potential can be chanelled. The potentials themselves still must have a 'source' and its only that source that gives the imbalance. The conductors are actually unchanged by the process - the number of elecrons within any particular conductor remains constant.
True enough, but not really relevant.
No, because as I mentioned earlier the actual conductor itself does not change its inherant characteristics. The number of electrons it contains remains constant. If the number of electrons were to change then the Atoms could not remain as copper (or whatever else its made of) and very strange things would start to occur.
No, you cannot gain electrons simply by heating. Ultimately, heating a solid conductor would convert it to a gaseous phase which would tend to inhibit its power carrying capabilites. Generally, a material is a material. You can neither add or remove electrons from that material without fundamentlly altering that material.
Yes, but again you need to differentiate between a conductor and a charge source. A conductor is a conductor, nothing more. Its function is to provide a low resistance path between the charge source and ground.
Charge sources are entirely different beasts. Within a charge source some process (usually chemical but possibly nuclear, static or photovoltaic) is causing material to be changed from one form to another and thus produciing either a deficit or abundance of electrons. Note that nothing is actually being created. Molecules are simply being re-arranged to produce different compounds which just happens to result in a lack/surpluss of electrons and thus electrical charge.
Yes, very true, but your describing a charge source there, not a conductor. By there very nature, charge sources go through a change to accumulate charge. Conductors do no such thing.
[quote[However, if there is a 'charge' on a conductor, then there is an imbalance, a conductor can either have a larger amount of Electrons making it negatively charged, or a smaller amount of electrons making it positively charged.[/quote]
No, there is no real change in the actual conductor. It neither gains or loses electrons. If it did then the nature of the material itself would change. Remember atoms of a particular material have a fixed number of components. Change that number and you have a different material. The charge comes only from the potential of the charge source - the conductor is simply a transfer medium.
The differential is called the 'potential difference'.
So yes, in my take on things, imbalances are very common, and are the basic natural activity of electricity, seen as electrical energy we use, or static electricity / thunderstorms etc.
When there is a large imbalance, elctricity will arc even through insulators to try to balance out and make neutral the difference (lightning etc)
So in an electric household circuit, or indeed any electrical circuit, there must always be an imbalance, either of greater or less electrons for it to work. otherwise there cannot be a flow of electricity.
Domestic household potential differences swing from positive to negative in a 50 or 60hz frequency, and at either 120 or 240 volts potential difference depending on where in the world you live usually.
So YES, the 'weight' of something carrying a charge can change, because it will either be missing, or gaining electrons.
Heated conductors can carry extra electrons so can gain even more weight.
But these 'charged' items will always try to re-balance, and is usully done either by obtaining extra electrons, or depositing the extra electrons to Earth, it is the Earth that regulates the final balance. If this was not the case, thunderstorms would roll forever, and electrical ciruits would not work.
Charge sources are entirely different beasts. Within a charge source some process (usually chemical but possibly nuclear, static or photovoltaic) is causing material to be changed from one form to another and thus produciing either a deficit or abundance of electrons. Note that nothing is actually being created. Molecules are simply being re-arranged to produce different compounds which just happens to result in a lack/surpluss of electrons and thus electrical charge.
A good example, which many will remember from school is the Van Der Graaf Generator:
van de Graaff Generator
This gadget basically removes electrons from a material to produce a 'charge', which would effectively change the 'mass' of the object.
van de Graaff Generator
This gadget basically removes electrons from a material to produce a 'charge', which would effectively change the 'mass' of the object.
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