Gary,

There is not the slightest bit of mystery in the "conservation of
electron flow". An important relationship in electromagnetics is the
so-called continuity equation. In simple terms this is an expansion of
Kirchhoff's current law. It says that any current imbalance at a point
in space must be compensated by a change in the stored charge at that
point in space. You can see the exact equation in any mid-level text on E&M.

This is how capacitors work. Current flows in but does not pass through
the gap between the plates. Instead, charge is stored on the plates. It
is sometimes convenient to describe this behavior in terms of
displacement current through the gap, but of course no electrons
actually pass between the capacitor plates.

Antennas work the same way. Any change in current along the antenna must
be accompanied by a change in stored charge. The antenna acts as a
capacitor. Everyone talks about high voltage at the tips of a dipole
antenna, but perhaps fewer people understand there is a buildup of
stored charge as well.

73,
Gene
W4SZ

JGBOYLES wrote:
"If you look at HOW an inductor works, the current flowing in one
terminal ALWAYS equals the current flowing out the other terminal."


I think that is true. If you define current as electron flow, then the fields
and radiation that a large coil may be subjected to, will not increase or
decrease the number of electrons that the coil contains. As such, the amount
of electrons entering the base of the coil, will equal the same number exiting
the coil, with time displacement.
Consider a large physically long capcitor, with multiple plates. One can use
this as a loading element. There is no electron flow between plates. However
there is "displacement" current between the plates that has no physical
meaning. Now what? The capacitor will be just affected as a coil.
So, from the conservation of electron flow I don't know what to believe.

73 Gary N4AST