Gauss law and electric current

[hokhani]

According to the Gauss law, the extra charges gather on the surface of a conductor. When there is a current in a conducting wire, do the charges only move on the surface of the wire or we have current also inside the wire? If we also have current inside the wire how is it compatible with Gauss law?

 

[dauto]

Gauss law by itself does not require the charges to move to the surface. You must also assume electrostatic conditions which of course isn't a valid assumption.

 

[mikeph]

The current in a conducting wire isn't from "extra charges", it's from unbound electrons. The net charge of a conducting wire is still zero.