Question

how do you know that it is an electric field, not electrons that move rapidly through a circuit?
multiple choice
electrons must move through a wire at near the speed of light since the current moves that fast.
electrons are pushed in one end of a wire and out the other end.
electrons in an active circuit either drift slowly, or just jiggle back and forth in one place.

Explanation:

• Electrons in a circuit have a very slow drift velocity (on the order of \(10^{-4}\text{ m/s}\) in typical wires). In an AC circuit, electrons just oscillate back - and - forth.
• The electric field, which is established at a speed close to the speed of light (\(c = 3\times10^{8}\text{ m/s}\)), is what causes the immediate response in a circuit (such as a light bulb turning on almost instantaneously when the switch is flipped).

Answer:

Electrons in an active circuit either drift slowly, or just jiggle back and forth in one place.