> [!summary] Current is the flow of electrons. > Current is created when a voltage is provided to a conductor. The electrons in the conductor get pushed. We call the conventional direct current the opposite direction of the flow of electrons. > Electrons don't move perfectly; they bump around other atoms. The average of these changes is called the drift velocity. > **Key equations:** > Drift velocity: $v_{d}= \frac{D}{t}$ >[!info]+ Read Time **⏱ 2 mins** # Definition Current is the flow of [[Electrons|electrons]]. In conventional direct current (DC) current is the opposite direction of the flow of [[Electrons|electrons]]. Current is created when a [[Potential Difference|voltage]] is applied across a [[Circuits|circuit]]. ## How Does Current Make Electron Flow When a [[Batteries|battery]] is connected to a copper wire (a [[Conductors|conductor]]), it creates a [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] between two points connected to the battery. The potential difference sets up an [[Electric Fields|electric field]] inside the wire. This exerts an [[Electric Force|electric force]] on the free electrons in the wire. As a result, the electrons drift through the wire, creating current. ## Drift Velocity Electrons in a current are not moving perfectly in the direction of an [[Electric Fields|electric field]]. They bump into atoms, losing [[Energy|energy]]. Drift velocity is the average [[Velocity|velocity]] electrons in a conductor will have. It's described as the [[Distance|distance]] electrons take over time. $ v_d = \frac{D}{t} $ > [!note]+ Diagram of Drift Velocity ![[cur_3.png]] [^1] Electrons bounce around inside a conductor. # Extra Resources <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v-En7qY5vzY?si=mGwhxAPnQdpb1RXq" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/__n0URvcymA?si=qwM7rYlr_W6HLeK6" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> --- > 📂 Want to see more structured notes like these? > Help grow the project by [starring Math & Matter on GitHub](https://github.com/rajeevphysics/Obsidian-MathMatter). --- [^1]: Used from https://tikz.net/electric_current/ by Izaak Neutelings (July 2018)