How long does it take an average electron to drift 1 μm in pure Si at an electric field of 100 V/cm?

Answer 1

Hi. Most people assume the electrons flow at or near the speed of light. This is not true. If you have a hose full of water (equivalent to a wire full of electrons) the pressure when you turn the water on travels quite rapidly through the hose even though the water does not. Same with electricity. The VOLTAGE travels at a high rate but the individual electrons do not. My guess? About a millisecond.