Whether an increased voltage accelerates the electrons

[tor2006]

Whether the increased voltage accelerates the electrons since the current of one ampere is one coulomb of charge going past a given point per second, it seems to me somehow the most logical. but I'm interested in the opinion of others on that topic.

 

[phinds]

Whether the increased voltage accelerates the electrons since the current of one ampere is one coulomb of charge going past a given point per second, it seems to me somehow the most logical. but I'm interested in the opinion of others on that topic.

Just as an aside on this question, you should NOT be interested in "the opinion of others", you should be interested in a factual answer. Science is not based on opinions.

 

[Guineafowl]

Whether the increased voltage accelerates the electrons since the current of one ampere is one coulomb of charge going past a given point per second, it seems to me somehow the most logical. but I'm interested in the opinion of others on that topic.

An increased voltage would accelerate the electrons, but don’t think of them zipping around the wires like race cars. In an ordinary conductor, electrons are jiggling randomly. If a current starts to flow, the random jiggling develops a net vector in the direction of flow. It’s more of a general drift of the order of mm/s.

I remember an argument with a friend’s dad when I was at school - he said the electrons must be moving ultra fast because when you switch a light on, it comes on instantaneously regardless of the length of lead. Point is, the ‘signal’ to start the current flow, ie the propagation of the electric field, travels at or near the speed of light. Think of a long hose already filled with water - turn the tap, and the flow starts as soon as the pressure pulse gets to the end - you don’t have to wait for the water to travel all the way along the hose.

If you want a (surprisingly detailed) account of electronic theory, try Practical Electronics for Inventors.

 

[Ronald Channing]

In a circuit yes. The charge carriers in the wires are electrons.

Let us imagine a series circuit consisting of:
1. A voltage source.
2. In series with a resistor.

$I_{series} = \dfrac{ V_{source} }{ R_{1} }$

in the standard model of any electric circuit with some components, an increased voltage increases the current in the circuit. Current is defined as being the rate of flow of charge carriers.
If more charge carriers are flowing past an imaginary plane in a section of wire before the terminal of the ressitor, then indeed the speed of charge carriers, has increased.

In fact, there is a relationship between current and drift velocity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drift_velocity
So, you are right, under certain conditions of course.

Again, current is defined as the flow of charged particles at a point or plane. If current increases, then the flow of charge carriers has increased.

So, technically, the flow of charge in a series circuit is the same, ie . the speed of the charge carriers (electrons) is the same in a series circuit. But in a parallel circuit, the flow of these charge carriers (electrons) differs, as current in branches is different.

Resistance is also defined as opposition to flow of charge. But charges move very slowly, about a few CM or MM (i don't remember) in a circuit. It is the energy transfer that is faster.
But of course, in an alternating current, charges fluctuate or jump around back and forth.

 

[Ronald Channing]

See the explanation in Wiki:

"
The formula for evaluating the drift velocity of charge carriers in a material of constant cross-sectional area is given by:[1]

{\displaystyle u={j \over nq},}

where u is the drift velocity of electrons, j is the current density flowing through the material, n is the charge-carrier number density, and q is the charge on the charge-carrier.

In terms of the basic properties of the right-cylindrical current-carrying metallic ohmic conductor, where the charge-carriers are electrons, this expression can be rewritten as[citation needed]:

{\displaystyle u={m\;\sigma \Delta V \over \rho ef\ell },}

where

• u is again the drift velocity of the electrons, in m⋅s−1
• m is the molecular mass of the metal, in kg
• σ is the electric conductivity of the medium at the temperature considered, in S/m.
• ΔV is the voltage applied across the conductor, in V
• ρ is the density (mass per unit volume) of the conductor, in kg⋅m−3
• e is the elementary charge, in C
• f is the number of free electrons per atom
• ℓ is the length of the conductor, in m

"