Robert Ronnow
The Imaginary i
Drift Speed
The smoke and fire are furious.
Electrons act like a negatively charged gas
or liquid plasma between the atoms of the lattice.
This sea of electrons
ignores some quantum effects
but is a reasonably good description of current in a metal.
The conduction electrons are not attached
to any particular atom. We can push the sea
with an electric field, moving it in one direction
like water flowing through a pipe.
This takes place at what is called the drift speed,
superimposed over the random thermal action of individual electrons.
where u is the drift speed of the electrons,
m is the molecular mass, ρ is the density, ℓ is the length, and σ is the conductivity
of the metal,
V is the voltage applied, e is the elementary charge and f is the number
of free electrons per atom.
The drift speed is small, 10-21 m/s is a typical value,
determined by the electric field inside the wire.
The black hole of my soul is filled with these electrons.
Copyright 2024 Robert Ronnow. Acknowledgements.