If an electrical potential is placed across a conductor, what happens to the electrons?

When an electrical potential is applied across a conductor, a difference in electric potential is created between two ends of the conductor. This difference causes free electrons, which are present in the conductor due to its metallic properties, to experience a force. The electrons are negatively charged, and they will experience a movement due to this electric field, resulting in a net drift toward the positive end of the conductor.

This phenomenon is known as electron drift and occurs in response to the electric field produced by the applied voltage. The electrons do not move instantly and uniformly, as they still undergo random thermal motion; however, there is a superimposed directional movement towards the positive terminal, which is what characterizes the flow of electric current. This process is fundamental to the operation of electrical circuits and the behavior of conductors in the presence of an electric potential.