Question

What is the effect of doubling the current flowing through a metallic wire on drift speed of free electrons?

Answer 1

Doubling the current flowing through a metallic wire doubles the drift speed of the free electrons. This is because drift speed (v_d) is directly proportional to current (I), as shown in the formula:

I = nAev_d

Since n, A and e remain constant for a given wire, any change in current results in an equal proportional change in drift speed.