Charge drift for a light bulb?

Question

I was reading a science book when I saw a question.-

It said that the average drift on a very small amount of charge passing through a copper wire is 1mm(millimetre) per second. But how come that when we switch on a light bulb, it immedietly lights up being quite far from the switch. The only way of passing electrons being the long route of the wire.

Thanks.

Answer 1

As my father described it to me, the electrons don't run through the wire like a tube, they pass the electrons like the old toy that has the five balls on a string.  When one bumps into the other it pushes the electron over and then the next one bumps it, on and on and on so the original electron is not traveling all the way to the bulb to light it.

So, the flipping of the switch causes an immediate response throughout every part of the circuit, setting electrons everywhere in motion in the same net direction. While the actual motion of charge carriers occurs with a slow speed, the signal which informs them to start moving travels at a fraction of the speed of light.

Answer 2

Yes, but the electrons are already WITHIN the lighting coil of the bulb.