Final answer:
Charges in an electric field move to decrease their potential energy, which, for electrons, means moving toward regions of higher potential, thus increasing their kinetic energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charges in an electric field will move such that they decrease their potential energy and, by doing so, they increase their kinetic energy. For an electron, which carries a negative charge, it will move toward regions of higher potential, since electric fields point in the direction of decreasing potential for a positive charge. This translates differently for an electron due to its negative charge—it will move in the opposite direction of the electric field; that is, from low to high potential. The work done by the electric field on the charge results in a transfer of energy from potential to kinetic form, as represented by the equation -ΔU = ΔK, where U is potential energy and K is kinetic energy. Consequently, as an electron moves through an electric field in materials like metal wires, it experiences a force that compensates for the energy lost due to scattering with atoms and other electrons, and this force is provided by the electric field itself, leading to an increase in kinetic energy of the electron.