Can electricity pass through a vacuum?

Answer 1

no

Answer 2

I wish people would stop giving a categoric "no" without demonstrating proper, relevant knowledge.

If we define "electricity" as the movement of electric charge, then there is nothing wrong with saying that electricity can pass through a vacuum. There is (literally) nothing stopping a free electron (which has, by convention, negative charge) from moving through a vacuum. The same applies for a proton, which has by convention a positive charge.

The main obstacle to getting a decent flow of electricity through a vacuum is pulling an electron out of its normal host material (usually a metal). The energy required to pull an electron out is called the work function of that material. Putting in more energy than this will result in an electron that has been set free, and has the excess energy as kinetic energy, i.e. it will be moving. See the
"photoelectric effect" for more on this.

Also, in response to some other answers, electromagnetic waves need no medium in which to propagate. Indeed, light is an electromagnetic wave and clearly travels through the (near) vacuum of space. However, electromagnetic waves are not conventionally considered a form of "electricity", so this is irrelevant.

Furthermore, consider experimental methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Here, electrons jump through vacuum from a material's surface into the tip of a probe that is brought close to the surface, and such electron flow forms a measurable electric current.

Answer 3

well it all kinda depends on what you mean by electricity of course!
but consider an electrical circuit where you connect one side of a capacitor to a light bulb, the other side to an A/C voltage source, and then complete the circuit by connecting the free connection on the light bulb to the other side of the voltage source.
the light bulb will light up and an alternating current flow even if you construct the capacitor out of two parallel metal plates arranged very close together in a vacuum.
so you can say electricity is flowing through a vacuum, even though no actual transport of electric charge (electrons) is taking place.

Answer 4

Electricity is the flow of electrons. Mostly electricity flows thru wires.

However Electrons can flow thru air or a vacuum if the voltage is high enough or the source of the elecricity is heated,

That's how a vacuum tube works. A negatively charged wire in the center of the vacuum tube is heated, and flows to the outside of the tube toward a positively charged mesh of wires. Before transister this was the basic component of electronic devices used in radios tv's and computers.

A magnet can also be used to move electrons in a vaccum. Which is the method used in some particle accellerators used in nuclear research, which can accelerate beams of electrons until they smash into things.

I believe your picture tube also uses magnets to send elecrons into the edge of the screen where it produces the little dots that make up the picture.

Anyway you can look up all this in wikipedia, under picture tube,
vaccum tube, etc.

Answer 5

Electricity must have a means of being conducted from one point to the next, a conductor. If there is no conductor, the electricity stops. A vacuum has no material in it to act as a conductor, so electricity doesn't flow through it. But if you have a wire in the vacuum, it will flow through the wire, like a light bulb.

Answer 6

If we define electricity as moving an electron or a charge, then yes. Vacuum Tube and Cathode Ray Tube are some examples.

Answer 7

Yes. Electricity are just eletrone. Eletrone can be propelled through a vacuum. Just like throwing an object through a vacuum. Only an eletrone is 100000000000000000000 times smaller than a golf ball.

Answer 8

There are 3 varieties of electric trains. One has an overhead cord that consists of the present. A pantograph on top of the engine will advance to flow decrease than the overhead cable. the 2d type has a 0.33 rail that runs in simple terms above and alongside the traditional rails. A "shoe" linked to the engine makes touch with the 0.33 rail to receive the present. The 0.33 type has onboard battery packs which would be charged remotely or by using diesel turbines whilst not interior constrained city limits. The wheels of the engines are grounded by using the rails. you may not be harmed by using touching the rails in spite of the shown fact that it quite is achieveable to be electrocuted from touching the '0.33 rail' whilst grounded.

Answer 9

No.
Electricity is a flow of electrons between atoms.
Since vacuum, by definition, does not contain any atoms, electricity cannot flow...

Answer 10

No.
Electricity is a flow of electrons between atoms.
Since vacuum, by definition, does not contain any atoms, electricity cannot flow...

Answer 11

Quantum theory gives an answer to this question.
It says that at the interaction of the electron with the vacuum,
his energy and mass become infinite.