When a light switch is turned on in a DC circuit, the average speed of electrons in the lamp is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average speed of electrons in a lamp when a light switch is turned on in a DC circuit is indeed less than 1 cm/s. This slow movement is due to the drift velocity of electrons, which is the average velocity that an electron achieves due to an electric field. Despite their slow average speed, the effect of turning on a switch is almost instantaneous because the electric field propagates through the circuit at a fraction of the speed of light, causing electrons throughout the circuit to start moving nearly simultaneously.

When a Light Switch Is Turned on in a DC