Definition:Drift Velocity of Electrons

Definition
In an electrical conductor, some of the electrons are more or less free to move between atoms.

In a state of electric neutrality, such electrons move randomly.

Under the influence of a potential difference, the electrons are influenced to move in a direction towards positive charge and away from negative charge.

So, while the electrons are still moving in all directions at random, there is a tendency for the motion to drift towards the positive.

The drift velocity is defined as the mean velocity of all the electrons within a given volume.

The magnitude and direction of the drift velocity is used to determine the measure of the electric current in the conductor.