Electrical Conductivity in Metals

Mean free path, :

average path between
two collisions
Thermal velocity
Drift velocity
uav = ?
Vd = ?
Considering, a varying field thus varying average velocity; we represent the current to be time
dependent,

To determine drift velocity,

Mean free path, : average path between two collisions

 = average velocity x 
=?
Temperature dependence of resistivity:
𝑚𝑒
Origin of resistivity: ? 𝜌= 2
𝑒 𝑛𝜏

Increase in Temperature: ?

(i) Increase average velocity of electrons

(ii) Increase the vibration of atoms
 1
𝜏∝
𝑆
 2
𝑆= 𝜋 𝑎

1
𝜏∝ 2
𝜋𝑎
Resistivity is due to scattering of conduction electrons by thermal
vibrations of atoms. This conductivity is termed “Lattice-Scattering-
Limited conductivity”.
To determine ,
I

T
 A & B temperature independent constants

Temperature Co-efficient of resistivity: Fractional change in resistivity per unit temperature increase at
the reference temperature To.

When resistivity follows the behavior,