How do you explain the colors of elements with the free electron model?

JohanL · Jan 10, 2005

How do you explain the colors of the elements with the free electron model?

HallsofIvy · Jan 10, 2005

You don't. For one thing elements don't have a single color. Sulpher, for example, can have many different colors.

Metals, specifically, have a "silvery" color (i.e. they reflect light) because of the "free" electrons that are not bound to individual atoms and so can "vibrate" more easily.

JohanL · Jan 11, 2005

thx for your answer.

ok. Its the spectra of frequencies these free electrons vibrate with that gives the metal its color. The metal can reflect this color's wavelength.

Can you incorporate this spectra in the free electron model or is it the potential from the lattice atoms and the bound electrons that determines this spectra.

I mean can the free electron model distingwish between different metals.
Gold and silver have different colors.

Can you use the band structure model instead.

How do you explain the colors of elements with the free electron model?

Discussion

Similar threads

Free electron model (Sommerfeld model)

Undergrad Lower center of mass creates more stability so how do you explain moving the center of mass upwards increases stability?

Undergrad Empty Lattice approximation/Nearly-free electron model

Graduate Free electron model difficulties from Ashcroft and Mermin chapter 3

Perturbation matrix: free electron model on a square lattice

High School How do you explain a plane wavefront based on huygens' principle?

Graduate Dispersion relation for the free electron model

Undergrad Basic band theory question, free electron model

Graduate The free electron model vs. nearly free electron model.

2D problem of nearly free electron model