Direct Current Creation

**Direct current (DC) electricity** is the **continuous movement of charges (electrons)**. Electrons move from an area of negative charges to an area of positive charges through a conducting material such as a metal wire. A DC circuit is necessary to allow the current of electrons to flow. Most electric charge is carried by the **electrons** and **protons** within an atom. **Protons have a positive charge**, while **electrons have a negative charge**. However, protons are mostly immobilized inside atomic nuclei. The job of carrying charge from one place to another is handled by electrons.



Electrons in a conducting material are largely free to move from one atom to another along their **conduction bands**, which are the highest electron orbits. Such a circuit consists of a source of electrical energy (such as a battery) and a conducting wire running from the positive end of the source to the negative terminal. Electrical devices (for example a light bulb) may be included in the circuit. The **SI unit** for measuring an electric current is the **Ampere**, which is the flow of electric charge across a surface at the rate of one **Coulomb** per second.