ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Electron wake

Have you ever played in the water and noticed how the water moves and creates waves behind you? The same thing happens when an electron travels through a material. As the electron moves through the material, it creates a disturbance in the surrounding electrons and atoms. This disturbance is called an "electron wake."

Think of it like a person walking through a crowded room. As they move, they push and disturb the people around them, creating a wake of movement behind them. The same thing happens with electrons.

This wake can have a big impact on the properties of the material the electron is moving through. For example, it can cause changes in the conductivity of the material, which is important for things like electronic devices.

Overall, the electron wake is a way that electrons interact with their surroundings and impact the behavior of the materials they move through.