Where do the charge in a series/circuits (?) come from?

manpreet Best Answer 3 years ago

so I just entered the very (bemusing) area of electric charges in physics in my grade 12 syllabus and I am struggling. I've been able to do well with other physics concept, but when it came to electricity, I just became so stumped. So here's what I don't understand, how does Charge exactly move through a circuit wire? I have two theories:

1.) there are free-floating electrons in wires, right? So if you connect a battery to a wire, potential difference (don't even know how this works tbh) in the battery causes the free moving electrons in the wire to move to the other end...does this mean:: 1.a) that the wires would eventually run out of electrons that can freely move and therefore lose current?

2.) electric potential difference in the battery allows the battery to generate electrons that can move through the wire, bump with the free-floating electrons in the wires and move through to the end of the wire 2.a) To me this seems to be the most reasonable hypothesis.

Also, lastly can someone explain what electric potential difference looks like and how it occurs in batteries. I heard it has to do something with chemical reactions or something?