Drift velocity: -It is defined as the average velocity gained by the free electrons of a
conductor in the opposite direction of the externally applied electric field.
Concept of drift velocity and relaxation time
Metals have free electrons and in the absence of any electric field, these electrons are in a
state of random motion due to thermal energy.
At room temperature, they move with velocities of the order of 105 𝑚𝑠 −1 which is distributed
randomly in all direction.
On the average, the number of electrons travelling in any direction will be equal to the
number of electrons travelling in opposite direction.
Let 𝑢⃗ 1, 𝑢
⃗ 2, 𝑢 ⃗ 𝑁 are random velocities of N free electrons, then average velocity of
⃗ 3, … , 𝑢
electrons will be
(𝑢
⃗ 1 +𝑢
⃗ 2 +𝑢 ⃗ 𝑁)
⃗ 3 +⋯+𝑢
𝑢
⃗ = =0
𝑁
There is no net flow of charge in any direction
In the presence of 𝐸⃗ , each electron experiences a force −𝑒𝐸⃗ in the opposite direction of
𝐸⃗ and undergoes an acceleration 𝑎 given by
𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝐸⃗
𝑎 = =−
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑚
As the electrons accelerates, they frequently collide with the positive metal ions. Between two
successive collisions, an electron gains a velocity component (in addition to its random
velocity) in a direction opposite to 𝐸⃗ .
Gain in velocity lasts for a short time and is lost in next collision. At each collision the
electron starts afresh with a random thermal velocity.
If an electron having random thermal velocity ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑢1 accelerates for time 𝜏1 (before it suffers next
collision), then it will attain a velocity.
𝑣
⃗⃗⃗1 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑢1 + 𝑎𝜏1
Similarly, the velocities of the other electron will be
𝑣2 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝑢2 + 𝑎 𝜏 2
𝑣3 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝑢3 + 𝑎 𝜏 3
𝑣
⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑁 = 𝑢
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑁 + 𝑎𝜏𝑁
The average velocity ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑣𝑑 of all the N electrons will be
⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑣1 +𝑣⃗⃗⃗⃗2 +𝑣
⃗⃗⃗⃗3 +⋯+𝑣
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑁
𝑣𝑑 =
⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑁
(𝑢
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗1 +𝑎⃗𝜏1 )+(𝑢
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗2 +𝑎⃗𝜏2 )+⋯(𝑢
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑁 +𝑎⃗𝜏𝑁)
=
𝑁
(𝑢
⃗ 1 +𝑢
⃗ 2 +𝑢 ⃗ 𝑁)
⃗ 3 +⋯+𝑢 (𝜏1 +𝜏2 +𝜏3 +⋯+𝜏𝑁)
= +𝑎
𝑁 𝑁
= 0 + 𝑎𝜏
𝑒𝐸⃗ 𝜏
𝑣𝑑 = +𝑎𝜏 = −
⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑚
⃗𝝉
𝒆𝑬
⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒗𝒅 = −
𝒎
Relaxation Time: -it is the average of time between two successive collision. The average
time that elapses between two successive collision of an electron is called relaxation time.
For most conductors, it is of the order 10−14 s.
Q1. Why electron in the presence of electric field does not produce any net acceleration?
Ans: - Electric field accelerates an electron between two collisions, yet it does not produce
any net acceleration. This is because the electron keeps colliding with the positive metal
ions. The velocity gained by it due to the electric field is lost in next collision. As a result, it
𝑣𝑑 in the opposite direction of 𝐸⃗ .
acquires a constant average velocity ⃗⃗⃗⃗
Number Density(n): - It is defined as the number of free electrons per unit volume
N
n=
Al
where N be the number of free electrons
A be the area of cross section of conductor
l be the length of the conductor
Relation between electric current and drift velocity: derivation of Ohm’s law
Suppose a potential difference V is applied across a conductor of length 𝑙 and of uniform
cross-section A. The electric field E set up inside the conductor is given by
𝑉
𝐸=
𝑙
Under the influence of field 𝐸⃗ , the free electrons begin to drift in the opposite direction 𝐸⃗
with an average drift velocity 𝑣𝑑 .
Let the number of electrons per unit volume or electron density = 𝑛.
Charge on an electron = 𝑒.
Number of electrons in length 𝑙 of the conductor = 𝑛 × 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 𝑛𝐴𝑙
Total charge contained in length 𝑙 of the conductor is 𝑞 = 𝑒𝑛𝐴𝑙
All the electrons which enter the conductor at the right end will pass through the conductor
at the left end in time,
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑙
𝑡= =
𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑣𝑑
𝑞 𝑒𝑛𝐴𝑙
∴ current, 𝐼 = = or 𝑰 = 𝒆𝒏𝑨𝒗𝒅
𝑡 𝑙/𝑣𝑑
This equation relates the current 𝐼 with the drift velocity 𝑣𝑑 .
The current density ′𝑗′ is given by
𝐼
𝑗= = 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑑
𝐴
In vector form 𝑗 = 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑑
The above equation is valid for both positive and negative value of q.
Deduction of Ohm’s law
When a potential difference V is applied across a conductor of length 𝑙, the drift velocity in
terms of V is given by
𝑒𝐸𝜏 𝑒𝑉𝜏
𝑣𝑑 = =
𝑚 𝑚𝑙
If the area of cross-section of the conductor is A and the number of electrons per unit
volume of the electron density of the conductor is n, then the current through the conductor
will be
𝑒𝑉𝜏
𝐼 = 𝑒𝑛𝐴𝑣𝑑 = 𝑒𝑛𝐴.
𝑚𝑙
𝑉 𝑚𝑙
Or, =
𝐼 𝑛𝑒 2 𝜏𝐴
At a fixed temperature, the quantities 𝑚, 𝑙, 𝑛, 𝑒, 𝜏 and A, all have fixed constant values for a
given conductor. Therefore,
𝑉
= 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡, 𝑅
𝐼
This proves Ohm’s law for a conductor and here
𝑚𝑙
𝑅=
𝑛𝑒 2 𝜏𝐴
Is the resistance of the conductor.
Resistivity in terms of electron density and relaxation time
The resistance R of a conductor of length 𝑙, area of cross-section A and resistivity 𝜌 is given
by
𝜌𝑙
𝑅=
𝐴
𝑚𝑙
But, 𝑅 =
𝑛𝑒 2 𝜏𝐴
Where 𝜏 is the relaxation time. Comparing above two equations, we get
𝑚
𝜌=
𝑛𝑒 2 𝜏
Obviously, 𝜌 is independent of the dimensions of the conductor but depends on its two
parameters:
1. Number of free electrons per unit volume or electron density of the conductor.
2. The relaxation time 𝜏, the average time between two successive collisions of an
electrons.