Here's something that surprises most people: electrons in a wire move INCREDIBLY slowly — about 1 millimetre per second! So how does a light come on instantly when you flick a switch? Because the wire is already FULL of electrons. When you connect the circuit, they ALL start moving at once — like a tube full of marbles. Push one in at one end, and one pops out the other end immediately. The battery doesn't "send" electrons — it provides the push that makes electrons already in the wire start flowing.
This introduction covers The River of Electrons within Current & Charge for GCSE Physics. Revise Current & Charge in Electricity for GCSE Physics with 19 exam-style questions and 30 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 1 of 13 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Current & Charge
What is electric current?
Explain why an ammeter must be connected in series in a circuit.
Quick recall flashcards
Charge equation?
Q = It where Q = charge (C), I = current (A), t = time (s)
What is 1 Ampere?
1 Coulomb of charge flowing per second (1 A = 1 C/s)