⚡ Drift Velocity Calculator
Calculate the average drift velocity of charge carriers (electrons) moving through a conductor carrying an electric current.
1
A
2
×10²⁸ m⁻³
3
mm²
What Is Drift Velocity?
Drift velocity is the average net velocity of charge carriers (typically electrons) in a conductor due to an electric field, when current flows. It’s surprisingly slow — usually a fraction of a millimeter per second — even though the electrical signal itself travels near the speed of light.
The Formula
vd = I / (n × A × e), where I is the current, n is the charge carrier density of the material, A is the conductor’s cross-sectional area, and e is the elementary charge.
For general educational purposes.
Last reviewed August 2026