Hi Sue,
Just to add my two bits...
It's worth point out a different between moving data packets and physical objects. Throwing a ball actually moves atoms around. Sending a data-packet doesn't change the location of the atoms of your computer, or any piece of equipment involved. If you want an analogy, data packets are more analgous to ripples in water or sound pressure waves in air. Information isn't transferred by moving matter, but rather by the transfer of temporary states/energy-levels through a conducting medium.
In fact, for wireless comm, youy have exactly this - the data packet is a series of waves in the electromagnetic medium.
At the hardware level, the conductive medium is the matrix/fabric of memory cells, wire interconnections, and transducers (electrical, optical, wireless, and back) within all the telecomm equipment. That network at the macro and microscopic levels forms something pretty close 'digital water', much the same way a river system forms a network.
Regards,
Mike
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