What is the speed of electric current?

Electromagnetic waves propagate in vacuum at a maximum speed of 299,792,458 meters per second . For a 12-gauge copper wire carrying a 10-ampere DC current, the speed of electric current (average electron drift velocity) is about 80 centimeters per hour or about 0.0002 meters per second. That's a huge difference. read more

The speed of electric current in copper wire is the average drift velocity of electrons in the wire. This can be calculated using the applet shown below from the Hyperphysics webpage: Microscopic View of Electric current. read more

The word electricity refers generally to the movement of electrons through a conductor in the presence of potential and an electric field. The speed of this flow has multiple meanings. In everyday electrical and electronic devices, the signals or energy travel as electromagnetic waves typically on the order of 50%–99% of the speed of light, while the electrons themselves move much more slowly. read more

In other words, the speed of the charges is proportional to the value of electric current; small current means slow charge-flow, large current means high speed. Zero current means the charges have stopped in place. Note however that an electric current does not have just one speed within any circuit. read more