# I How does a battery make a current?

1. Jan 1, 2017

### hokhani

If a battery run a current by making the positive charge at one end and negative charge at the other end, in other words by making an electric field inside the wire, then we should expect to have larger currents when the wire is straight rather than bent. In the straight form, the electric field inside the wire is directly pointed from the positive charge to negative while in the curved form the effects of the electric field is less than straight one. Is this true? I would be grateful if anyone please explain this.

2. Jan 1, 2017

### hilbert2

You can compare the electric current to a flow of water in a plastic pipe that has a pressure difference between its ends. Does the flow rate of water depend on the curvature of the tube?

3. Jan 1, 2017

### Staff: Mentor

Assuming that the resistance of the curved wire is the same as the resistance of the straight wire, then the currents will be the same. The current depends on the resistance by $I=V/R$. The curvature of the wire is not relevant.

4. Jan 1, 2017

### hilbert2

The electrical force is transferred through the wire because the conduction electrons react most to the charge density in their immediate neighborhood. Think of a line of people who are holding hands and are instructed to squeeze the hand of the person on their left side when their own right hand gets squeezed.

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