Question about speed of an electric current

[cornsmith]

Hello!

Supposed I had 2 identical copper wires, I'll call them A and B.

I insulate wire A with whatever the standard wire insulation is, and leave wire B alone (uninsulated).

I'll now send an identical signal (same voltage and power) through each wire. Will the current be identical at the end of each wire? Will it be weaker or slower?

Thanks!
-Michael

 

[Dale]

That depends on the medium that the wire is in. If the medium is non conductive then it will be the same. But if the medium is conductive then the uninsulated wire will have less current.

 

[phinds]

The situation you pose has nothing to do with the speed of the current, only with the amount, so your subject line is misleading.

If you are interested in current "speed" then Google "electron drift velocity". You might be surprised.

 

[nasu]

As you talk about "signal", do you have in mind a high frequency regime, with wave packets propagating along the line?
In this case I think that the impedance of the line may depend on the medium. Probably that the losses too will depend on the medium.
So both speed and damping of the signal may be different.

 

[sardar]

Hello Michael,

Great question! The speed of an electric current is determined by the material it is traveling through, not the insulation. Therefore, the current in wire A and B will have the same speed at the end of the wires. However, the insulation on wire A may slow down the flow of electrons slightly due to the extra resistance it adds to the circuit. This means that the current in wire A may be slightly weaker than the current in wire B, but the difference should be minimal. Overall, the current in both wires will be very similar and will reach the end at nearly the same time. I hope this helps clarify your question. Let me know if you have any further inquiries.

Best,