Close looped nature of circuits - WHY

[Peter_I]

Electrons prefer to be attached to atoms.

Except when they aren't like in a TV screen tube, most any electron tube and sparks, electron tunneling, plasma, etc.

They still prefer to be attached to atoms. We just hit them hard enough to overcome the binding potential and send them flying on their own. (but they would still really like to go somewhere with a positive charge)

[MarkT]

Even in a plasma electrons are in close association with positive charges, since a plasma is conductive.

If you fire electrons at high speed into a block of plastic or glass they build up inside the insulator until the voltage (in the MV range)
gets large enough to do this:

http://capturedlightning.com/frames/lichtenbergs.html (check out the video)

[Peter_I]

....(check out the video)

Fantastic, that video is beyond description!

[tack]

Ooh Litchtenberg figures...You get these, in the form of water trees or electrical trees, in high voltage polymeric insulation that has suffered from partial discharge.