Why is silver the best conductor?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter iScience
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Conductor Silver
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Silver (Ag) is recognized as the best electrical conductor, followed by copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al), despite the free electron density ranking being the opposite. The conductivity of metals is influenced not only by the density of free electrons but also by scattering mechanisms including phonons, impurities, and defects. Electron-electron scattering, as described by the Landau Fermi Liquid theory, has a minimal impact on conductivity at standard temperatures, becoming significant only near absolute zero.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrical conductivity and resistivity concepts
  • Familiarity with solid-state physics principles
  • Knowledge of scattering mechanisms affecting charge carriers
  • Basic grasp of the Landau Fermi Liquid theory
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the role of phonons in electrical conductivity
  • Study the effects of impurities and defects on metal conductivity
  • Explore the Landau Fermi Liquid theory in detail
  • Investigate temperature dependence of electron-electron scattering
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, materials science, and electrical engineering who are interested in understanding the principles of electrical conductivity in metals.

iScience
Messages
466
Reaction score
5
More specifically, the free electron density in increasing order goes like this:

Ag
Cu
Al

why then is the conductivity in the reverse order? ie the free electron density doesn't seem to play much of a role in conductivity beyond a certain point.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Probably due to electron-electron scattering, if there are too many free electrons then they will collide with each other and limit the conductivity.
 
iScience said:
More specifically, the free electron density in increasing order goes like this:

Ag
Cu
Al

why then is the conductivity in the reverse order? ie the free electron density doesn't seem to play much of a role in conductivity beyond a certain point.

Really? Where did you get the info that the conductivity is in "the reverse order"?

http://chemistry.about.com/od/molec...f-Electrical-Resistivity-And-Conductivity.htm

Secondly, the conductivity isn't just a function of charge carrier density. The resistivity is a function scattering of charge carrier with phonons, impurities, defects, etc. BTW, electron-electron scattering, per Landau Fermi Liquid description, plays a minor role in the conductivity at ordinary temperatures. It is only apparent at extremely low temperature near 0 K.

This probably should have been posted in the Solid State physics forum.

Zz.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Are the electrons in the conduction band completely free?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
Why are the electrostatic field lines normal to a charged conductor?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Undergrad Why does increasing resistance in a conductor decrease power dissipation?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Undergrad Which is the best conductor? Silver or gold? Why?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
32K
Undergrad Velocity saturation and mobility in metals and semiconductor
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
5K
Undergrad Charge carrier density: Hall experiment vs Fermi-Dirac statistics
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
Graduate Bulk and Slab electronic structure differences
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
Graduate Optoelectronics: Why Semiconductors?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
6K
Undergrad Atomic Structure: Why Does Energy Decrease with Orbit Number?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Undergrad The density of states independent of Boundary Conditions
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K