Question about the movement of electrons in a conductor

In summary, an electron will accelerate in a conductor due to a potential difference between the conductor's two ends, but it doesn't affect the current's voltage or intensity.
  • #1
a7madfmj
2
0
Hello,
I know that the movement of a charged particle in space or a fluid caused by an electric field is accelerated(a = F / m) by the Coulomb force(Fc = k q1 q2 / d^2). And the Kinetic Energy of the particle is calculated through this equation ΔKE = q ΔV. But does an electron accelerate in a conductor because of a potential difference between the conductor's two ends ?. If it does, then does it affect the current's voltage or Intensity ?
 
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  • #2
I prefer to think of current as an exchange of elementary particles i.e. w & z bosons, which essentially transfers energy through the wire. That's all you need to make stuff work.

Whether or not this is "correct", I don't know, but free electrons don't actually shoot through the wire; the whole "sea of valence electrons" is just a model we use.
 
  • #3
BiGyElLoWhAt said:
I prefer to think of current as an exchange of elementary particles i.e. w & z bosons, which essentially transfers energy through the wire. That's all you need to make stuff work.

Whether or not this is "correct", I don't know, but free electrons don't actually shoot through the wire; the whole "sea of valence electrons" is just a model we use.

That makes no sense. there is no exchange of W and Z bosons in an ordinary wire with a current coming through. The sea of valence electrons on the other hand is quire real.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
a7madfmj said:
Hello,
I know that the movement of a charged particle in space or a fluid caused by an electric field is accelerated(a = F / m) by the Coulomb force(Fc = k q1 q2 / d^2). And the Kinetic Energy of the particle is calculated through this equation ΔKE = q ΔV. But does an electron accelerate in a conductor because of a potential difference between the conductor's two ends ?. If it does, then does it affect the current's voltage or Intensity ?

Yes. the electrons will accelerate but than they collide with some obstacle in the wire losing its energy. After the collision it starts accelerating again and so on.You end up with an average velocity (called the drift velocity) which is proportional to the force. So, instead of F=ma the equation F= const * velocity should be used. So we have Potential V ~ Force F ~ Velocity v ~ Current I. In other words the potential V is proportional to the current I: V+RI where I is a constant. That just turns out to be Ohm's law.
 
  • #5
dauto said:
That makes no sense. there is no exchange of W and Z bosons in an ordinary wire with a current coming through. The see of valence electrons on the other hand is quire real.

Hmmm... upon looking it up, I see that I was mixing up exchange particles.

That aside, yes there "is" a SEA of valence electrons, but it doesn't behave like water flowing through a pipe like so many people seem to think it does. You don't have some certain number of electrons racing around the copper wire, causing dq/dt. In fact, it's plausible (at least in my mind) that no single electron makes it around a loop of wire within a reasonably finite amount of time.
 
  • #6
dauto said:
Yes. the electrons will accelerate but than they collide with some obstacle in the wire losing its energy. After the collision it starts accelerating again and so on.You end up with an average velocity (called the drift velocity) which is proportional to the force. So, instead of F=ma the equation F= const * velocity should be used. So we have Potential V ~ Force F ~ Velocity v ~ Current I. In other words the potential V is proportional to the current I: V+RI where I is a constant. That just turns out to be Ohm's law.

Thank you.
 

1. How do electrons move in a conductor?

Electrons in a conductor move in response to an applied electric field. This means that when a voltage is applied to the conductor, the electrons will flow in the direction of the electric field.

2. What is the role of free electrons in conduction?

In a conductor, there are free electrons that are not bound to any particular atom. These free electrons are able to move throughout the material and are responsible for carrying electric current.

3. How do temperature and resistance affect the movement of electrons in a conductor?

As temperature increases, the resistance of a conductor also increases. This means that the movement of electrons becomes more difficult and slows down. At lower temperatures, the resistance decreases and electrons are able to move more freely.

4. What is the difference between conductors and insulators in terms of electron movement?

Conductors allow free movement of electrons, while insulators do not. In insulators, the electrons are tightly bound to the atoms and are not able to move easily. This is why insulators do not conduct electricity as well as conductors.

5. Can the movement of electrons in a conductor be controlled?

Yes, the movement of electrons in a conductor can be controlled by changing the properties of the material, such as temperature or the presence of impurities. It can also be controlled by applying an external electric field or by introducing a barrier, such as a diode, in the circuit.

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