[SV_BubbleTime]

> The electrons absolutely do migrate through the wires;

That’s true. But very slowly in electrical terms. If I remember right the actual electronics in a reasonable circuit I read about was something like 1” per second. The vast majority of work done is an electron shuffle of bouncing into the next one in space.

[NovemberWhiskey]

When you say "work", what do you mean? I get the impression you're talking about a model like there's a long tube full of ball-bearings and when you push one in, one drops out the other end?

That model isn't right; think about a transformer - energy is transferred between conductors that are not physically connected at all.

[goodpoint]

The idea that electrons "push each other" is misleading and an oversimplification.

Watch the video. Like waves in the ocean, are water molecules pushing each other and making the wave? Or is the wave carrying the molecules with itself? Or both things at the same time?