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In the case of a metal conductor, such as a wire, an electric current is the result of a drift of free electrons along the conductor. Free electrons are electrons that have become detached from the outer orbit of the metal atoms, and move haphazardly from atom to atom. You can think of these electrons behaving somewhat like a gas that fills the voids between individual fixed atoms. This 'gas' of electrons is in a constant state of rapid, random, and chaotic motion. However, when a potential difference is applied across the ends of the conductor, there is a tendency for individual electrons to gradually move from the negative end of the conductor to the positive end. Individual electrons move in this direction VERY slowly -in the order of millimetres per hour. Since this happens to ALL the free electrons at the same time, the effect of this drift is felt practically immediately along the entire length of the conductor.

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9y ago
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10y ago

A little bit heating and producing magnetic lines passing through loop's plane

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7y ago

It will generate a magnetic field. If there is resistance, it can also heat up the wire.

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Q: What happens to an electric current running along a wire?
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Why do you keep getting electric shocks off your cat?

static electricity of their fur, like when you rub your hands along the base of a trampoline :)


What are electromagnetic devices?

An electromagnetic device is any device that uses electromagnets to operate. Some examples include: electric motors, electric generators (alternators), speakers, etc. An electromagnet is typically a coil of wire with an electric current running through it which generates a magnetic field according to laws and principles developed by Ampere, Faraday, and Maxwell among others. Electromagnetism was discovered by Oersted in 1820.


What are the similarities and differences between direct current and alternating current?

Both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) describe the nature of the current in terms of its direction. DC describes when the flow of electric charge goes in a constant direction whereas AC describes when the flow of electric charge constantly reverses; in other words, the electrodes of the power source constantly switch between positive and negative.


What are the Basic principles of how the circuit functions?

An electrical circuit is any closed loop that allows a flow of electrons in a current to deliver energy or perform work and then return to their source.Material along which electrical current flows freely arecalled conductors. (e.g. copper-wire) The electrons emit and return to an energy supply.Current is said to flow from positive to negative, because this is the conventional direction of current flow. It is a convention leftover from the when electricity was first discovered.Electrons actually move through a conductor awayfrom the negative terminal and towards the positive terminal, because of the laws governing electric fields (like charges repel and unlike charges attract). The power-supply produces an EMF (electro-motive-force) that creates the potential difference necessary for electrons to flow freely along a conductor.The natural force is called Electromagnetism.Opposite charges attract. An electron will move away from a negative terminal and towards the positive.In physics it is best to think of the current flow in a metallic conductor as being the overall net flow of negative charge since that is what carries energy This movement is known as net current drift and is slow compared to continual random motion of electrons. That random motion yields no overall displacement over time. Therefore power is neither consumed nor created along a current.


What are field windings and armature windings in a dc motor and generator?

generators have two types of winding , * at armature also called armature winding( winding around shaft , we can say), which is the moving part. note that armature also consists of magnets along with windings. hence produces field arount it. * and at stator also called field winding, because when armature rotates its flux(field) is cutted by the stator windings and produces mutually induced e.m.f in it( in stator windings off course) causing current to flow. this current also produces some electric field around it which is in return cutted by the armature windings hince a little amount of e.m.f ( also called back e.m.f) produced in armature due to stator winding current. know this current in armature (due to back e.m.f produced by stator winding) produces additional field , hence causing more current in stator winding. this is the reason that why stator windings are called field winding( as they cause electric field of armature stronger and cause more current in output). note that out put is taken from the stator windings in generators.

Related questions

What is the movement of electrons along a conductor called?

It is called, "electric current", and is measured in "Amperes".


What is the word for the steady flow of electric charges along a path is an electric?

current


Which is true electric current running along a wire can be used to produce magnetic force or moving electrons through a magnetic field can produce an electric current?

They're both true, but I'm not comfortable with the way they're stated. I would have said: -- Electric current through a wire produces magnetic force. -- Moving electrons constitute an electric current, whether or not they're moing througha magnetic field.


What is a movement of electrons along a conductor called?

It is called, "electric current", and is measured in "Amperes".


Why any electric wire get suddenly cool when electric current cutoff?

Heat in an electric wire is mainly caused by the rapid movement and collision of electrons as they flow along it, when an electric current is cut off, the flow is greatly reduced causing a huge drop in temperature.


What is coulmb?

(coulomb) A quantity of electric charge. Passage of 1 coulomb per second along a wire is called 1 amp (ampere) of electric current.


What electric charge crates a magnetic field?

Moving charges produce magnetic fields.Answer 2In other words, when the charge moves along a conductor it creates an electric current. The current induces a magnetic field around the conductor.


Is electric current and current the same thing?

Not really. You can compare them with the analogy of water flowing through a pipe. For water to flow, there must be a pressure difference across the ends of the pipe. An electric current is a movement of electric charges along a conductor. For those charges to move, there must be a voltage (more accurately, a 'potential difference') across the ends of the conductor. So a potential difference is required to cause current to flow.


Can a electric current runnng along a wire be used to produce a magnetic force?

Whether or not you use it, there's always a magnetic field surrounding an electric current.When anything that can respond to a magnetic force is brought close enough to the current,it does feel a magnetic force.


How does an electric current flow in an electric circut?

Electric current is made to flow in a wire by applying a presure of extra electrons at one end of the wire .. this excites the atoms in the wire and that excitement is transfered to the other end of the wire along the way the excitement is displayed as light, heat, or magnetism used to turn motors


Is an electric current the movement of negative charges called electrons?

The force moving electrons in electricity is called resistance. The electrons move toward a path of least resistance. The current is the actual movement of the electrons in a specific direction.


What is a flow of electrons moving along a wire or conductor?

An electric current. <<>> The term used for the flow of electrons through a conductor is amperage.