Doe a conductor become charged when current is passed through it?

Dear nikhil,

Any accelerating electric charge, and therefore any changing electric current, gives rise to an electromagnetic wave that propagates at very high speed outside the surface of the conductor.

When a metal wire is connected across the two terminals of a DC volatge source such as a batery , the source places an electric field across the conductor. The moment contact is made, the free electrons of the conductor are forced to drift toward the positive terminal under the influence of this field. The free electrons are therefore the charge carrier in a typical solid conductor.

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