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Difficulty: EasyElectrical Current and Electron Flow

In a direct-current (DC) circuit connected to a battery, what creates electrical current through the metallic conductor?

  1. A
    The accumulation of stationary electric potential without the movement of physical charges
  2. The flow of free electrons moving from the negative terminal toward the positive terminalAnswer
  3. C
    The continuous movement of electrons directed from the positive terminal toward the negative terminal
  4. D
    The periodic back-and-forth oscillation of electrons without net forward drift

Answer

The flow of free electrons moving from the negative terminal toward the positive terminal
Electric current in metallic conductors consists of the movement of free electrons. Because electrons carry a negative electrical charge, the electromotive force from a DC source repels them from the negative terminal and attracts them toward the positive terminal, creating a continuous unidirectional drift.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the mobile charge carriers in a metallic conductor.
In metals, loosely bound valence electrons (free electrons) move between atoms.
Atomic nuclei are fixed in the metallic lattice, leaving free electrons as the mobile carriers of electric charge.
2
Determine the direction of electron drift under a DC voltage source.
Negatively charged electrons are repelled by the negative battery terminal and attracted to the positive terminal.
According to electrostatic principles, like charges repel and opposite charges attract.

Key Concept

Electric current in a metallic DC circuit is the physical flow of free electrons drifting from the negative terminal toward the positive terminal.
Estimated Time:35s
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Topics

Electrical Current and Electron Flow

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