How fast is electricty?

[NetSquirrel]

I saw this question on the home page but I couldn't make the link take me anywhere. I've always wondered though - how fast actually is electricty? I think the individual electrons in a wire must travel very much slower than the overall "effect", which appears to be almost instant. In a current-carrying wire, would it be approximately correct to picture all the electrons as keeping the same distance from each other, but also creeping slowly around the circuit (like ball bearings in a drinking straw)? If so, at what speed do the electrons travel, and does this change with voltage, and the diameter and resistance of the wire? Also, what is the overall speed of electricity (how long would a standard copper wire need to be for an electrical potential to take 1 second to travel along it)? Sorry for stacking up questions.

[Sparky]

Have a look at this article: www.amasci.com/miscon/speed.html Your ball bearing analogy is good, but it's more like a Newton's cradle (one of those executive toys). You hit the end ball bearing, (with a battery for example)which relates to the first electron at the end of a wire, the electrons all bump into each other along the wire, until the last one pops out and does the work (lights a bulb or whatever). But it's only an analogy!

[NetSquirrel]

Thanks, Sparky. Great link!