What actually happens in electric current

We are familiar with air current and water current. We know that flowingwater constitute water current in rivers. Similarly, if the electric chargeflows through a conductor (for example, through a metallic wire), wesay that there is an electric current in the conductor. In a torch, weknow that the cells (or a battery, when placed in proper order) provideflow of charges or an electric current through the torch bulb to glow. Wehave also seen that the torch gives light only when its switch is on. Whatdoes a switch do? A switch makes a conducting link between the cell andthe bulb. A continuous and closed path of an electric current is called anelectric circuit. Now, if the circuit is broken anywhere (or the switch of thetorch is turned off), the current stops flowing and the bulb does not glow.How do we express electric current? Electric current is expressed bythe amount of charge flowing through a particular area in unit time. Inother words, it is the rate of flow of electric charges. In circuits usingmetallic wires, electrons constitute the flow of charges. However, electronswere not known at the time when the phenomenon of electricity was firstobserved. So, electric current was considered to be the flow of positivecharges and the direction of flow of positive charges was taken to be thedirection of electric current. Conventionally, in an electric circuit thedirection of electric current is taken as opposite to the direction of theflow of electrons, which are negative charges.

The free electrons flow inside it

Electric Current: The flow of electric charge is known as electric current. Electric current is carried by moving electrons through a conductor. By convention, electric current flows in opposite direction to the movement of electrons.