When charged particles move through a conductor such as copper wire, what moves?

Select an answer from the options below.
eTextbook and Media
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Question

When charged particles move through a conductor such as copper wire, what moves?

Select an answer from the options below.
eTextbook and Media
Links to an external site.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks what moves when charged particles move through a conductor such as copper wire.
First, note that the provided answer field indicates the correct choice is 'conduction electrons', but the list of answer options is missing (the answer_options array is empty).
Given this, I will explain the concept and why 'conduction electrons' is the correct idea.
In a metal like copper, the atoms form a lattice whose positively charged nuclei are fixed in place within the crystal structure. The electrons in the outer shells, often referred to as conduction electrons, are relatively free to move within the metal's lattice. When a potential difference (voltage) is applied across a conductor, these conduction electrons drift in a direction opposite to the electric field, creating an electric current. The ions in the lattice do not flow; they remain stationary as the electrons move past them.
Why the other possibilities would be incorrect here is not directly demonstrable since there are no alternative options listed to evaluate. If any alternative options had been present, typical incorrect choices might include ideas like the whole atom moving, the nuclei moving, or external objects moving, all of which contradict the standard model of electrical conduction in metals where the mobile charge carriers are the conduction electrons.
In summary, when charged particles move through a copper conductor under an applied electric field, the primary moving charge carriers are the conduction electrons, not the lattice ions or the entire atom.

190865 Electricity And Magnetism 21-Coulomb's Law

When charged particles move through a conductor such as copper wire, what moves? Select an answer from the options below. eTextbook and Media Links to an external site.

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