ANSWERS: 5
  • The Speed Of Electricity © Copyright 1999, Jim Loy We are told, by physicists, that electricity travels the same exact speed, through a wire, that light travels through a vacuum (the famous speed c). There are two problems with that, aren't there? Electricity is the flow of electrons. Electrons have mass. Relativity says that things with mass cannot travel at the speed c. Only things with no mass (zero rest mass) can (and must) travel at c. Even light cannot travel at c, when it is travelling through other substances. Light slows down, to travel through glass, water, or air. So, how can electrons travel at c, through copper? Well, it turns out that physicists are right; electricity does travel at c. Also, electrons do not travel anywhere near c, within a wire. Electricity travels at c, while electrons do not. When an electron enters one end of a wire, an electron leaves the other end of the wire. This effect takes place at the speed of light (c). But, they were not the same electron. A different electron exited the wire. And that clears up my two objections, above.
  • Metallic atoms exchange electrons with each other.
  • Essentially, the speed of light. 671,000,000 miles per hour.
  • First , we most note that the speed of electricity is a very subjective issue based on the current, conduction and resistance of the circuit. We shall define the speed of electricity to be the average distance covered by an electron in the wire in one second. Also note that the motion of charged particles (e.g., of electrons in metals) in a particular direction is known as electric current. The electric charge may be either electrons or ions. This is important because previous answers suggested that electricity flowed through a wire at the speed of light, it does not! A solid conductive metal contains a large population of mobile, or free, electrons. These electrons are bound to the metal lattice but not to any individual atom. Even with no external electric field applied, these electrons move about randomly. When a electric field is applied across the conductor electrons may move slow ,very slow, on the order of 0.4 cm/sec.This means that it would take slightly more than four minutes for each electron to even move one meter. To learn why and view sample calculations visit http://www.geocities.com/archisgore/articles/speed_of_electricity.html
  • Seems like I rememeber from college that it goes at .9 c. But individual electrons travel much slower - I'll take cswanson's word on the 4cm/sec. It's like when you turn on the outside faucet when the hose is full of water - water starts flowing almost immediately, although it might take many seconds for a water molecule to make its way thru the hose.

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