I'm mostly wondering about radio frequencies. I understand that voltage is the movement of electrons, and that the antenna acts as a light bulb, emitting at radio frequencies, following the reverse square law, some materials are opaque, some are transparent. Yet, at the receiver end, it's almost the same as having the two antennas connected, except with a voltage drop. Are photons and electrons the same thing? (It is called the electromagnetic spectrum). It's obviously not quite the same as electrons moving through the air, as this creates lightning, or something similar.
Is anything I've said incorrect? What happens when an electron goes through an antenna?
Best Answer
No, the movement of electrons is (one type of) electric current. There can be a voltage without the movement of charge.
No, an antenna is a resonant system that, ideally, has zero resistance while an incandescent light bulb has a resistive element that is heated by an electric current to the point that it visibly glows. They're not remotely similar.
No, photons are the massless spin 1 quanta of the electromagnetic potential and have zero electric charge. Electrons are the massive spin 1/2 quanta of an 'electron field' and have electric charge. They're not remotely similar.
Accelerated electrons within the antenna radiate photons that propagate away a the speed of light.