Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Theoretical considerations
The electric current represents the coherent flow of charged particles which overlaps
their chaotic Brownian motion (see Fig.1). The coherent flow is produced by the electric force
r
r
r
F = qE acting on a charge q in the presence of an electric field E . The electric current is
characterized by the current intensity defined as the charge carried in a unity of time through a
given surface S perpendicular on the current flow. The current intensity can be expressed as:
I=
Q
t
(1)
where Q is the flowing charge and t is the considered time of flow. The measuring unit for
intensity is: [ I ]SI = Ampere . Starting from
the definition of the current intensity one
can introduce the current density as the
intensity through the unit area:
j=
I Q
=
S St
(2)
2
is: [ j ]SI = A / m
vd = E =
U
l
(3)
Here represents the electric mobility of charge carriers (for instance electrons) and U is the
electric field tension between the two ends of the cylinder. The physical significance of mobility
is that it is numerically equal with the velocity gained by the moving charge in a field of 1V/m.
The measuring unit for the electric mobility is: [ ]SI = m 2 / Vs
If an average velocity vd is considered for the moving charges then the total charge Q
passing through the section S during the time t is:
Q = nqV = nqSvd t
(4)
Here n is the number of particles per unit volume. This formula allows us to express the
current density as
j = nqvd = nq E = E
(5)
which represents the local form of Ohms law. In the above formula the constant
= nq
(6)
is called the electric conductivity of the material. The measuring unit of the electric
conductivity is:
[ ]SI = A / Vm = 1m1 .
(7)
I = jS =ES =
1U
S .
l
(8)
R=
l
S
the electric resistance of the material. Consequently Eq. (8) can be written as
(9)
I=
U
R
(10)
= 0 1 + ( t t0 )
(11)
Here t , t0 are two selected temperatures and , 0 their corresponding resistivities. The
constant is called the temperature coefficient of resistivity. Note however that the above
formula is valid only for a small variation of the temperature. Otherwise more complicated
formula should be applied.
The average (drift) velocity can be expressed in a different form if we consider it as the
result of an accelerated motion during a mean time c
between two collisions of particles
vd = a c =
qE
c
m
(12)
c =
m
.
nq 2
(13)
Experimental approach
The experimental setup consists of a copper wire of length L=916 m and a diameter d=0.12 mm
and a vessel containing oil. The wire forming a coil is introduced inside the vessel and then
placed on a heating plate equipped with a magnetic stirrer. The electric resistance R of the
copper wire is measured using a digital multimeter and the temperature with a thermometer.
The following measuring steps will be performed:
1. Record the room temperature t0 and the corresponding resistance R0 ;
2. Switch on the electric plate;
3. Record the resistance R of the wire increasing the temperature t from 5 to 5 degrees.
Do not exceed the limit of 65 C;
4. Fill in the table below.
Data evaluation
1. Calculate the resistivity with the formula: = R
S
l
electrons/
ne
and e=1.6x10
4. Plot on the same graph the dependence = ( t ) and = ( t ) and extrapolate the
lines to 0o C to find the resistivity and the conductivity at 0o C
5. Calculate the average collisional time at 0o C using the formula:
where m = 9.11031 kg is the mass of one electron.
6. Fill in the table
Table
t[
]
R [k]
[m]
[m]
[ / ]
c =
m
ne2