Why does current follow a wound conductor instead of jumping between the coils?

[kevs926]

when conductors are wound, they touch each other.

why would the current flow through the spiral path when they can just jump on the next wire??

 

[mdjensen22]

Are you referring to motors, transformers, and inductors for example?
If so, the wiring in those is insulated.

 

[berkeman]

when conductors are wound, they touch each other.

why would the current flow through the spiral path when they can just jump on the next wire??

As mdjensen says, the wires are insulated. Just to add a bit to that -- there are different thicknesses of insulation for "magnet wire", or wire that is being used to wind magnetic components.

The thicknesses are typically called "single build" (the thinnest), "double-build" and "triple build" (pretty thick). You use the thinnest insulation that you can (as long as the voltage insulation rating is high enough for your needs), so that you can space the windings as close together as possible. That helps to lower the "leakage inductance", which is basically a measure of how much magnetic field is not in the magnetic path that you want it to be in.

 

[Adjuster]

The wire used in some spiral-wound heating elements is not insulated. In this case, although adjacent turns of wire may look as if they touch, they are in fact held apart in grooves on an electrically insulating heat-resistant former.

The design of wire-wound resistors also avoids the turns touching, and usually the wire is embedded in vitreous enamel, or some other insulating material.

 

[sophiecentaur]

The insulation may not need to be 'too good' betweeen adjacent turns because, for a single layer, the voltage between them will only be Supply Volts / Number of turns. When there are more layers, of course, you can expect much higher volts between layers.