 Drift velocity

The drift velocity is a charge carrier population's mean velocity relative to its material's rest frame. It describes the net transport superposed on microscopic motion. For a single species, current density is $\mathbf{J}=nq{\mathbf{v}}_d$; for Electrons, $q=-e$ reverses the direction. It is distinct from the propagation speed of an electrical disturbance. ^[ref].

Drift velocity refers to the average velocity that charged particles, such as electrons, attain due to an electric field in a conductor. When an electric field is applied across a conductor, it causes the free electrons (or charge carriers) to move in a specific direction. However, these electrons are also subject to random thermal motion, which causes them to collide with atoms in the material.