Zitat:
Zitat von Rosemarry
I think I understand all that you guys have just said, but somehow my fundamental question is still here.
Let me try it again.
The physics book says that an electron is a particle of matter. It has mass and charge. The way you talk about it though, you make it sound as though the electron was just energy.
Is it matter or is it energy?
If it is energy, then how can there be a positive electron (positron) ?
If it is matter, how can it just "flow" across a copper wire?
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Without going into details:
Matter can be understood as a certain state of energy. Perhaps one could say, matter is kind of condensed energy. The same is true for antimatter. Matter consists of particles, whereas antimatter consists of antiparticles.
Now, according to the famous equation E = mc^2, most probably known to you, energy can be converted into mass/antimass and vice versa. Exampels for particles/antiparticles involved are electron/positron, proton/antiproton, hydrogen/antihydrogen, ... . As was certainly already stated, particle and antiparticel are distinguished by their electric charge only.
If a particle comes close to its antiparticle they annihilate into energy, means into photons. This process and vice versa was dominating the early universe, as mainstream physicists believe.
The electrons flow through the copperwire, because they feel an external electric field.
This was a trial, I am not really sure, whether it answeres your question.
Gruss, Timm