Name: electron drift in metallic conduction
Uploaded: 2023-09-18T17:11:19.000Z
Duration: 1 min 17 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Physical Science

motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions

Motion and Stability- Forces and Interactions

PS.PSc.6.3

Theory of Metallic Conduction

When an electric field is applied across a conductor, free electrons drift in the direction opposite to the field&#39;s direction while colliding with the crystal&#39;s ions.
If the applied field were zero, the random motion would, on average, result in zero net drift as the collisions would randomly change their directions. The average time between collisions is called the mean free time.
The electron&#39;s acceleration is given by the electric force over the mass. Its velocity at any time is expressed by the initial velocity, the acceleration, and the time.
Averaging both sides over the collisions gives the average velocity. However, since the average drift due to collisions is zero, the drift velocity is given by the product of acceleration and the mean free time.
Using the relationship between the current density and the drift velocity, the current density is related to the electric field, which is Ohm&#39;s law.
So, the electrical conductivity is expressed by the number of free electrons per unit volume, the electron&#39;s charge and mass, and the mean free time.

theory of metallic conduction

The conduction of free electrons inside a conductor is best described by quantum mechanics. However, a classical model makes predictions close to the results of quantum mechanics. It is called the theory of metallic conduction.
In this theory, Newton&#39;s second law of motion is used to determine the acceleration of an electron in the presence of an applied electric field. Then, its velocity is expressed via this acceleration.
An electron moves through the crystal, containing positive ions, colliding with the ions. These collisions knock it off in various directions. If there were no applied electric field, the average velocity of the electron would be zero over the collisions. However, in the presence of the electric field, the electron accelerates opposite to the field between the collisions, and hence the average velocity, called the drift velocity, is in the direction of the field.
The average duration between collisions is defined as the mean free time.
The relationship between the current density and the drift velocity relates the current density to the electric field. This relationship is in the form of Ohm&#39;s law, from which the material&#39;s electrical conductivity can be obtained.
This theory predicts the correct temperature dependence of the conductivity. As the temperature of the material increases, the ion&#39;s vibrations increase, and so do the electrons&#39; collisions with these ions. Hence, the mean free time decreases, implying that the conductivity decreases. The prediction that the material&#39;s electrical conductivity decreases with increasing temperature is observed in experiments, although the exact dependence can be found by using quantum mechanics only.

The conduction of free electrons inside a conductor is best described by quantum mechanics. However, a classical model makes predictions close to the ...

Education

JoVE Core

Physics

Unit 1

Current and Resistance

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

electron drift in metallic conduction

Electron drift in metallic conduction explains how free electrons move through a conductor. A classical model can describe this motion closely, even though quantum mechanics gives the best overall picture. This model is called the theory of metallic conduction.

In this theory, Newton's second law is used to find the acceleration of an electron when an electric field is applied. The electron's velocity is then found from that acceleration. The electron travels through a crystal of positive ions and collides with them. These collisions send the electron in different directions.

If no electric field is present, the average velocity of the electron is zero over many collisions. When an electric field is applied, the electron accelerates opposite to the field between collisions. As a result, the average velocity, called the drift velocity, points in the direction of the field. The average time between collisions is called the mean free time.

The link between current density and drift velocity gives the relationship between current density and electric field. This relationship has the form of Ohm's law, and it can be used to find the electrical conductivity of the material. The theory also predicts the correct temperature trend for conductivity.

As temperature rises, ion vibrations increase. Electrons then collide more often with the ions. The mean free time decreases, so the conductivity decreases. Experiments show this drop in conductivity with increasing temperature. The exact temperature dependence, however, requires quantum mechanics.

Electron Drift in Metallic Conduction

electrical current

Current Flow in Simple Circuits

Electrical current is the flow of charge in a circuit. A large current means a large amount of charge moves through a wire in a short time. A small current means only a small amount of charge moves through the circuit over a longer time. Examples include the current needed to run a refrigerator and the smaller current used by a handheld calculator. The SI unit for current is the ampere, or amp. It is named for the French physicist André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836). One ampere means one coulomb of...

drift velocity

Electrical Current and Electron Drift

Electrical current in a conductor depends on moving charges and the tiny drift speed of those charges. When a free charge enters a wire, it pushes nearby charges ahead because like charges repel each other. That push spreads through the material very quickly, so the electrical signal moves through the system at nearly the speed of light. This fast signal is not the same as the slow motion of each charge. It is a rapidly spreading change in the electric field, often described as an electrical...

current density

Current Density in Wires and Solutions

Current density describes how much electric current passes through a given cross-sectional area. It helps show not just the size of the current, but also how it is distributed through a conductor. The current density can change from point to point because the local charge flow can vary. If the current flow is uniform, the amount of current is the same at every point along the conductor, even when the conductor’s area changes. Current density is measured in amperes per square meter. Its...

resistivity

Resistivity in Conductors and Insulators

Resistivity describes how much a material opposes electric current. When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electric field forms. The charges in the conductor feel that force, and a current density develops. In some materials, including metals at a given temperature, the current density is approximately proportional to the electric field. In those cases, current density can be modeled with conductivity, written as sigma. Electrical conductivity is measured in (ohm·m)^−1. It tells how well...

resistance

Factors That Affect Electrical Resistance

Electrical resistance describes how much a conductor opposes the flow of current. It is represented by R. When current passes through a conductor, heat is also produced. Resistance is tied to the material’s resistivity, which is a property of the material used to make an electrical component. Resistance is different from resistivity. Resistivity belongs to the material itself, while resistance belongs to the finished component. To study this relationship, consider a wire with length L,...

ohm's law

Measuring Current, Voltage, and Resistance

Ohm's law describes the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in many materials. In these cases, the current through a substance is directly proportional to the voltage applied to it. The idea was first shown experimentally by German physicist Georg Simon Ohm, who studied current in a metal wire. A material, component, or device that follows this pattern is called ohmic. An ohmic component has a current that increases in step with voltage. A material or component that does not...

non-ohmic devices

Diode Current and Reverse Bias

A diode is a nonohmic circuit element that makes current and voltage behave differently from Ohm’s law. In most substances, current is proportional to the voltage applied, but a diode does not show a linear current-voltage relationship. A diode is a semiconducting device with two terminals: an anode, which is the positive terminal, and a cathode, which is the negative terminal. It allows current to flow in only one direction. In a simple circuit with a battery, a diode, and a resistor, the...

electrical power

Power Limits in Electrical Circuits

Electrical power in a circuit depends on current and voltage. It is the product of these two values and is measured in watts, or joules per second. That relationship helps explain how much energy a circuit can deliver. A car’s auxiliary power outlet is one real-world example. Some outlets are rated at 20 amps and 12 volts, so they can deliver a maximum of 240 watts. That rating shows the upper limit of power the circuit can provide to devices such as a cell phone charger. Bulb wattage also...

electrical energy

Cutting Electric Bills with Efficient Lighting

Electrical energy is the energy transferred when electrons move from one point to another. The longer an appliance is used, the more electrical energy it consumes. If power stays constant, electrical energy equals the power used by the device times the time it runs. That is why longer use leads to a higher electric bill. Electric bills measure this energy in kilowatt-hours. One kilowatt-hour is equal to 3.6 × 10^6 joules. You can lower electrical energy use by cutting the time an appliance...

continuity equation

Charge Conservation and Current Flow

Charge conservation and current flow are linked through the continuity equation. The current density is the amount of current flowing per unit cross-sectional area. The current through a surface can be written as a surface integral of the current density. The conservation of charge says that the total current leaving a volume equals the rate at which charge inside that volume decreases. The total charge can be written using volume charge density, which is a space function. Because of this, the...

boundary conditions for current density

Current Density at Conductivity Boundaries

Current density at a boundary changes when two conducting materials have different electrical conductivities. The normal component of current density stays continuous across the interface. The tangential component, which runs along the surface, becomes discontinuous across the boundary. Consider two conducting media with conductivities σ1 and σ2 separated by an interface. At point P1 in medium 1, the steady current density makes an angle α1 with the normal. At point P2 in medium 2, the current...

electrical conductivity

Resistance and Ohm's Law in Conductors

Resistance and Ohm's law help explain how electric current moves through a conductor. In a perfect conductor, the electric field inside is zero because free electrons move to cancel it. Any extra charge then stays on the surface. In a practical conductor, an applied electric field can remain in place. That field drives electrons through the material and creates a current. The current density, which is current per unit area, is related to the electric field. More generally, it is related to the...

Electron drift in metallic conduction explains how free electrons move through a conductor. A classical model can describe this motion closely, even though quantum mechanics gives the best overall picture. This model is called the theory of metallic conduction. In this theory, Newton's second law is used to find the acceleration of an electron when an electric field is applied. The electron's velocity is then found from that acceleration. The electron travels through a crystal of positive ions...

key terms and concepts

Explore electron drift, mean free time, and conductivity in metallic conduction. See how electric fields and temperature affect current in metals.

Electron Drift in Metallic Conduction | JoVE K12

physics

JoVE Core Physics introduces the theory and application of fundamental physics topics, including kinematics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, statics, waves, and acoustics, with concise and easy-to-understand animated videos. Additionally, the scientist-in-action videos demonstrate the application of related concepts in classical and original research experiments performed in today's laboratories worldwide.

PS.Phy.4.3

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

PS.9

PS.9.b

PH.9

PH.9.e

Florida Department of Education

High School

SC.912.P.10

SC.912.P.10.14

Position and Displacement

The position of an object defines its location relative to a convenient frame of reference at any particular time. A frame of reference is an arbitrary ...

Average Velocity

To calculate the other physical quantities in kinematics, we must introduce the time variable. The time variable allows us not only to state the position ...

Instantaneous Velocity - I

The average velocity during a time interval cannot tell us how fast or in what direction a particle is moving at any given time during the interval. To ...

Instantaneous Velocity - II

Instantaneous velocity is the quantity that measures how fast an object is moving along its path. In other words, the instantaneous velocity of an object ...

Average Acceleration

The importance of understanding acceleration spans our day-to-day experiences, as well as the vast reaches of outer space and the tiny world of subatomic ...

Instantaneous Acceleration

Acceleration is in the direction of the change in velocity, but it is not always in the direction of motion. When an object slows down, its acceleration ...

Position and Displacement Vectors

To describe the motion of an object, one should first be able to describe its position (where it is at any particular time). More precisely, the position ...

average-and-instantaneous-velocity-vectors

Average and Instantaneous Velocity Vectors

To calculate other physical quantities in kinematics, the time variable must be introduced. The time variable not only allows us to state where an object ...

Acceleration Vectors

In everyday conversation, accelerating means speeding up. Acceleration is a vector in the same direction as the change in velocity, &#916;v, therefore the ...

Direction of Acceleration Vectors

Acceleration occurs when velocity changes in magnitude (an increase or decrease in speed), direction, or both. Although acceleration is in the direction ...

Linear Momentum

The term momentum is used in various ways in everyday language, most of which are consistent with the precise scientific definition. Generally, momentum ...

Force and Momentum

Force and momentum are intimately related. Force acting over time can change momentum, and Newton&#39;s second law of motion can be stated in its most ...

Analyze and interpret data to explain the motion of an object moving with a constant velocity or that is accelerating.

PS.PSc.4.1

Electrical Current

Electrical current is defined as the rate at which charge flows. When there is a large current present, such as that used to run a refrigerator, a large ...

Drift Velocity

The high speed of electrical signals results from the fact that the force between charges acts rapidly at a distance. Thus, when a free charge is forced ...

Current Density

The total amount of current flowing through one unit value of a cross-sectional area is referred to as current density. If the current flow is uniform, ...

Resistivity

When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electrical field is generated, and charges in the conductor feel the force due to the electrical field. The ...

Resistance

When a current moves through any conductor, the conductor causes some level of difficulty for the current to flow. The measure of that difficulty is known ...

Ohm's Law

Many materials exhibit a simple relationship between the values of current, voltage, and resistance, known as Ohm&#8217;s law. The current that flows ...

Non-ohmic Devices

In most substances, the current flow is proportional to the voltage applied to it. A simple relationship between the values of current, voltage, and ...

Construct an explanation to compare simple series and parallel circuits in terms of Ohm's Law.

PS.PSc.6.2

Continuity Equation

The total amount of current flowing per unit cross-sectional area is called the current density. Hence, the current passing through a cross-sectional area ...

Boundary Conditions for Current Density

Current density becomes discontinuous across an interface of materials with different electrical conductivities. The normal component of the current ...

Electrical Conductivity

In perfect conductors, the electric field inside is always zero due to the abundance of free electrons, which nullify any field by flowing. As a result, ...

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain how current is affected by changes in composition, length, temperature, and diameter of wire.

Magnetism

Magnets are commonly found in everyday objects, such as toys, hangers, elevators, doorbells, and computer devices. Experimentation on these magnets shows ...

Magnetic Fields

A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the surrounding space, in addition to its electric field. The magnetic field exerts a force on ...

Magnetic Field Lines

The representation of magnetic fields by magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. Each of the ...

Magnetic Flux

The magnetic flux measures the number of magnetic field lines passing through a given surface area. The SI unit for magnetic flux is the weber (Wb). ...

motion-of-a-charged-particle-in-a-magnetic-field

Motion Of A Charged Particle In A Magnetic Field

A charged particle experiences a force when moving through a magnetic field. Consider the field to be uniform and the charged particle to move ...

Magnetic Force

In addition to the electric forces between electric charges, moving electric charges exert magnetic forces on each other. A magnetic field is created by a ...

magnetic-force-on-a-current-carrying-conductor

Magnetic Force On A Current-Carrying Conductor

Moving charges experience a force in a magnetic field. Since the magnetic fields produced by moving charges are proportional to the current, a conductor ...

magnetic-force-on-current-carrying-wires-example

Magnetic Force On Current-Carrying Wires: Example

In a magnetic field, moving charges encounter a force. If a wire contains these moving charges, i.e., if the wire is carrying a current, then a force acts ...

force-on-a-current-loop-in-a-magnetic-field

Force On A Current Loop In A Magnetic Field

Magnetic forces on wires carrying current are most frequently applied in motors. A DC motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical ...

torque-on-a-current-loop-in-a-magnetic-field

Torque On A Current Loop In A Magnetic Field

The most common application of magnetic force on current-carrying wires is in electric motors. These consist of loops of wire, which are placed between ...

The Hall Effect

Edwin H. Hall, in the year 1879, devised an experiment that could be used to identify the polarity of the predominant charge carriers in a conducting ...

Magnetic Field due to Moving Charges

A stationary charge creates and interacts with the electric field, while a moving charge creates a magnetic field.
Consider a point charge moving with a ...

Biot-Savart Law

The Biot-Savart law gives the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field produced by a current. This empirical law was named in honor of two ...

Biot-Savart Law: Problem-Solving

The magnitude and direction of a magnetic field created by a steady current can be calculated using the Biot-Savart law.
Consider a mobile phone battery ...

Magnetic Field Due to Two Straight Wires

Consider two parallel straight wires carrying a current of 10 A and 20 A in the same direction and separated by a distance of 20 cm. Calculate the ...

magnetic-force-between-two-parallel-currents

Magnetic Force Between Two Parallel Currents

Two long, straight, and parallel current-carrying conductors exert a force of equal magnitude on one another. The direction of the force depends on the ...

Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop

Consider a circular loop with a radius a, that carries a current I. The magnetic field due to the current at an arbitrary point P along the axis of the ...

Divergence and Curl of Magnetic Field

The magnetic field due to a volume current distribution given by the Biot&#8211;Savart Law can be expressed as follows:

To evaluate the divergence of the ...

Ampere's Law

A fundamental property of a static magnetic field is that it is not conservative, unlike an electrostatic field. Instead, there is a relationship between ...

Ampere's Law: Problem-Solving

Ampere&#x27;s law states that for any closed looped path, the line integral of the magnetic field along the path equals the vacuum permeability times the ...

Solenoids

A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field for a solenoid is the ...

Magnetic Field of a Solenoid

A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field due to a solenoid is ...

Toroids

A toroid is a closely wound donut-shaped coil constructed using a single&#xA0; conducting wire. In general, it is assumed that a toriod consists of ...

Use models to explain magnetism in terms of domains, interactions of poles, and magnetic fields.

PS.PSc.6.4

Induction

An emf is induced when the magnetic field in a coil is changed by pushing a bar magnet into or out of the coil. emfs of opposite signs are produced by ...

Faraday's Law

Faraday&#39;s law state that the induced emf is the negative change in the magnetic flux per unit of time. Any change in the magnetic field or change in ...

Lenz's Law

The direction in which the induced emf drives the current around a wire loop can be found through the negative sign. However, it is usually easier to ...

Motional Emf

Magnetic flux depends on three factors: the strength of the magnetic field, the area through which the field lines pass, and the field&#39;s orientation ...

Faraday Disk Dynamo

A Faraday disk dynamo is a DC generator, producing an emf that is constant in time. It consists of a conducting disk that rotates with a constant angular ...

Induced Electric Fields

The fact that emfs are induced in circuits implies that work is being done on the conduction electrons in the wires. What can possibly be the source of ...

Induced Electric Fields: Applications

An important distinction exists between the electric field induced by a changing magnetic field and the electrostatic field produced by a fixed charge ...

Eddy Currents

Since eddy currents occur only in conductors, magnets can separate metals from other materials. For example, in a recycling center, trash is dumped in ...

Displacement Current

Amp&#xE8;re&#x27;s law, in its usual form, does not work in places where the current changes with time and is not steady. Thus, Maxwell suggested ...

Significance of Displacement Current

A displacement current is analogous to a real current in Amp&#xE8;re&#x27;s law, participating in Amp&#xE8;re&#x27;s law the same way as the usual ...

Electromagnetic Fields

Electric fields generated by static charges, often referred to as electrostatic fields, are characteristically different from electric fields created by ...

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the application of electromagnets.

PS.PSc.6.5

Analyze motion in terms of speed, velocity, acceleration, and momentum.

Electron Drift in Metallic Conduction

Description

Transcript

Tags

More videos by Standards