How does voltage cause electric charges to move through a wire?

Voltage, also known as electric potential difference, causes electric charges to move through a wire by establishing an electric field within the conductor.12

When a voltage source—such as a battery—is connected to a wire, it creates a difference in potential between the two ends of the conductor. This potential difference generates an electric field along the length of the wire. Because electrons are negatively charged, they experience a force from this electric field that drives them to move in the direction opposite to the field's orientation.123

This directed flow of electrons constitutes an electric current. The relationship between the voltage applied, the resistance of the wire, and the resulting current is defined by Ohm’s law, which states that the current is directly proportional to the potential difference and inversely proportional to the resistance of the material.124