- #1
ee15
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Homework Statement
This is not a homework problem but I only have permission to post here because I am new.
My question is about the electric field in the wires of a simple circuit with a battery and a resistor. Electrons from from lower potential to higher potential terminal battery, meaning there must be an electric field in the wires. Can we determine the electric field knowing that the battery produces a voltage ΔV?
Homework Equations
[itex]\vec{E}[/itex] = [itex]\nabla[/itex][ ΔV(x,y,z) ]
The Attempt at a Solution
I don't think the formula for [itex]\vec{E}[/itex] is useful as we don't know the potential as a function of anything.
One thing that might make sense is that [itex]\vec{J}[/itex] = [itex]\sigma[/itex][itex]\vec{E}[/itex], the current density is proportional to the electric field. This is not very intuitive to me, however, is the current density, and by extension electric field, simply a function of the dimensions of the wires?