Electrons in Metal: Explaining Free Electron Theory

[ranju]

I just wanted to clear one thing... in metals what type of potential the electrons are subjected to..??
Is it constant , sinusoidal , square or non-periodic..?? pleasez explain a bit in accordance with free electron theory.>!

 

[UltrafastPED]

In a metal, it's constant throughout the metal for the free electron theory.

See http://www.teknik.uu.se/ftf/education/ftf1/forelasningar/overview/Freelectronmodel.pdf

 

[rigetFrog]

It's complicated. The nuclei produce their 1/r type fields, and since they a periodic in a metal, the net field is periodic. Now not all the the electrons necessarily see this periodic 1/r type potential, b/c part of the potential is being screened by electrons. You can get qualitative results by using a sinusoidal potential, but quantitative results require more accurate potentials.