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dfg
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Why does electricity need wires to flow?

If you drop a really heavy ball the ball's gravitational potential energy will turn into kinetic energy.

If you place the same ball in the pool, the ball will still fall. A lot of kinetic energy will turn into thermal energy because of friction, but the gravitational potential energy will still be converted.

Similarily, why doesn't electricity flow without a good conductor? Why won't Electrons won't flow from the negative terminal to the positive terminal without a wire attaching them?

I know how electricity flows like a wave and that metals have free electrons floating around that allows the wave to propagate. But when these free electrons aren't available to propagate the wave, why don't the electrons just "move" like the ball? Why don't the electrons just "move" through the air to the positive terminal.

A slow drift speed means that tell probably take a long time, but they should still get there. Shouldn't they?

dfg
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