Define drift current?

The free electrons in a conductor move with random velocities and in random directions. When an electric field is applied across the conductor the randomly moving electrons are subjected to electrical forces along the direction of the field. Due to this field, the electrons do not give up their randomness of motion, but they will be shifted towards higher potential with their own random motion. That means the electrons will drift towards higher potential along with their random motions. Thus, every electron will have a net velocity towards the higher potential end of the conductor and this net velocity is referred as the drift velocity of electrons. Hopping, you understand the definition of drift velocity. The current due to this drift movement of electrons inside an electrically stressed conductor, is known as drift current read less

when potential is applied electrons will start to move from higher potential to lower , during its motion there are collisions due to this the motion is not continuous but it will reach the lower potential due to applied field then the average velocity of electrons during its displacement is called drift velocity ,the current generated due to this drift of electrons called drift current . read less