Consider a current carrying wire (current I) in the shape of a circle. Note that as the current progresses along the wire, the direction of j (current density) changes in an exact manner, while the current I remains unaffected. The agent that is essentially responsible for it is:

1. source of emf
2. the electric field produced by charges accumulated on the surface of the wire
3. the charges just behind a given segment of wire which push them just the right way by repulsion
4. the charges ahead

(b) Hint: The current density depends on the electric field produced.

Current per unit area (taken normal to the current), IA is called current density and is denoted by j. The SI units of the current density are Am2. The current density is also directed along with E and is also a vector and the relationship is given by is j=σE=Eρ. The j changes due to the electric field produced by charges accumulated on the surface of the wire.