A steady current is a type of direct current that maintains a constant intensity over time. There are two types of electric currents caused by the motion of free charges: conduction current, which flows through a conductor due to an applied potential difference, and convection current, which occurs when heat is transferred from one place to another in the Earth's geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. The key difference between conduction and convection current is that conduction current involves the movement of charge particles through a conductor while convection current involves their movement through a gaseous medium, and conduction current obeys Ohm's law while convection current does not.