Rms velocity of electron in free space?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the RMS thermal velocity of an electron in free space using the law of equipartition. The participant has already determined the drift velocity of a hole to be 2.5 x 10^-4 m/s. By applying the equation vrms = √3kT/m and assuming room temperature, they calculate the RMS thermal velocity of the electron to be approximately 110,000 m/s. This result indicates that the RMS thermal velocity is nine orders of magnitude greater than the drift velocity. The conversation highlights the application of ideal gas assumptions to derive the necessary calculations.
Brennen berkley
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Homework Statement


How many orders of magnitude smaller is the average drift velocity of a hole than the RMS thermal velocity of an electron moving in free space? (Use the law of equipartition to find the RMS thermal velocity of a free electron.)

This is the last part of the problem, I have already found the drift velocity to be 2.5 x 10-4

Homework Equations


vrms = √3kT/m
This is for an ideal gas, so I'm not sure if it applies.

The Attempt at a Solution


I know I need to find the energy of an electron, but I can't seem to find anything about how to calculate that in a vacuum, just how to find it based on pressure and temperature.
 
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Electrons in free space are close to a perfect gas. You can probably assume room temperature.
 
Ok, with those assumptions I get 110,000 m/s, which is 9 orders of magnitude higher than the drift velocity. Thanks
 
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