Skip to content

Question

Why does the drift velocity of electrons in a conductor remain much smaller than their thermal velocity?

Options

Choose one · Correct answer highlighted

Explanation

**Current and drift relation** I = n e A v_d shows current proportional to drift velocity and area. For A=6×10⁻⁷ m², I=1.8 A, n=8.5×10²⁸ m⁻³, v_d =1.8/(8.5×10²⁸×1.6×10⁻¹⁹×6×10⁻⁷)=2.2×10⁻⁴ m/s, illustrating small drift speed even for ampere currents. Drift velocity ( v_d = e E tau / m ) is small because E is typically weak and tau is short due to frequent collisions, whereas thermal velocity arises from random motion at high speeds (proportional to √(k T / m) ), unaffected by the field. Applying I = n e A v_d, R = ρ l/A, R_t = R₀[1+αΔT], Kirchhoff's ΣI=0, ΣV=0, R_eq series/parallel, V = ε

Discussion

Comments

0 comments

No comments yet. Be the first to start the discussion.