Copper Electron Pressure: 105atm & Its Effects

[kent davidge]

The pressure of the electrons of Copper are about 10⁵atm. Why, then, don’t the electrons in a piece of copper simply explode out of the metal?

 

[davenn]

The pressure of the electrons of Copper are about 10⁵atm. Why, then, don’t the electrons in a piece of copper simply explode out of the metal?

where did you read this ? it doesn't sound right
maybe you misunderstood what was being said

 

[nasu]

The electrons are not alone in the piece of Cooper, are they?

 

[kent davidge]

where did you read this ? it doesn't sound right
maybe you misunderstood what was being said

The electrons are not alone in the piece of Cooper, are they?

(Sorry for my poor English.) I was thinking of a cooper wire under a potential difference. I forgot where I read about that pressure of free electrons.

 

[nasu]

The pressure of the free electron gas has nothing to do with some external potential difference.
It is related to the energy of the Fermi electron gas.
You can read about it in solid state textbooks.

But a copper wire contains more than just the electron gas.

 

[kent davidge]

The pressure of the free electron gas has nothing to do with some external potential difference.
It is related to the energy of the Fermi electron gas.
You can read about in in solid state textbooks.

But a copper wire contains more than just the electron gas.

Ok, so how large is the pressure due the conduction electrons in a ordinary wire?

 

[nasu]

Of the order you mentioned in the OP. But is not due to external potential difference.
See here, on the last page, for an example:
http://www.physics.udel.edu/~msafrono/425-2011/Lecture 5.pdf

 

[kent davidge]

Of the order you mentioned in the OP

then why don’t the electrons explode out of the wire?

 

[nasu]

I asked you twice. What else is there in a piece of wire, besides the electrons?

 

[kent davidge]

I asked you twice. What else is there in a piece of wire, besides the electrons?

uuh ok, I'm sorry, you mentioned that earlier. Then would the ions create a "negative" pressure?

 

[nasu]

The positive ions and the negative electrons create a stable system.
This is taken into account when the electrons in the "free" electron gas are treated as particles in a box.

 

[kent davidge]

The positive ions and the negative electrons create a stable system.
This is taken into account when the electrons in the "free" electron gas are treated as particles in a box.

Now I have understood it. Thank you !