text: Within in atom? or do you mean in an environment like an electrical wire with a current running through it?\n\nElectrons move by changing location with respect to time... dx/dt\n\nWhen you move an atom (like by picking up your arm) lots and lots of electrons move.\n\nWhen you set up a magnetic field electrons move in order to relieve the stress placed on what was previously their equilibrium state.\n\nIn a wire electrons move very very very slowly at something called the drift speed.