Question

The direction of current in a conductor is in the direction of flow of:
A) Electrons
B) Atom
C) Positive charge
D) None

Answer 1

Hint: The direction of conventional current is negative to positive. The flow of electrons is negative to positive.

Complete step by step solution:
When electricity was discovered, scientists were not aware of electrons at that time. They thought that positive ions were responsible for the current. Therefore, he decided that the direction of the current would be from positive to negative. After, J. J. Thomson discovered electrons. It was soon understood that electrons were responsible for the current in most conductors.

Flow of electrons causes current in the conductor. Traditionally, current is in the direction of flow of positive charge or opposite to the flow of negative charge (electrons).

Additional Information: Drift speed refers to the average distance of a one-time carrier per unit time. Like the motion of any object, the speed of the flow of electrons moving through a wire is also the distance of time ratio. The path of a particular electron through a wire can be described as a rather chaotic, zigzag path marked by collisions with stationary atoms.Each collision causes a change in the direction of the electron.

With the electric potential installed at both ends of the circuit, the electron continues to migrate. Progress is always made towards a positive terminal. Yet the overall effect of countless collisions and high collision speed is that the overall drift speed of an electron in a circuit is unusually low. A typical drift speed can be 1 meter per hour.

Note: As we know, there are charge carrier electrons in the wires of electrical circuits. Within the metal wire, these electrons are supplied only by copper atoms (or whatever material the wire is made of). Once the switch is turned on, the circuit is closed and an electric potential differential is installed at the two ends of the external circuit. The electric field signals travel almost all the mobile electrons within the circuit at the speed of light, which causes them to march.