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Goodver
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Why electrical current is possible only with the presence of energy BANDs, rather than discrete energy levels.
Thank you.
Thank you.
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Change of energy would mean change of energy level (principal quantum number), as far as I understand, electrical current is due to jump of electrons within degenerate states, that's why electrical current possible in metals and not in insulators (without changing of energy level).yehokhenan said:The electron can change its state by acquiring energy from somewhere.
An energy level that can get occupied by an electron.Goodver said:What is meant by the state then?
The number of electrons compared to the number of available energy levels.Goodver said:And what determines when the band is fully packed and when not?
The gap does not have to exist.Goodver said:As far as I understand, electrons can be in one of the energy bands which are separated by energy gaps (Kronig Penney model).
Electrical current in metals refers to the flow of electric charge through a metal material. This flow of charge is caused by the movement of free electrons within the metal's atomic structure.
Energy bands are a way of visualizing the energy levels of electrons in a metal. In order for electrical current to flow, electrons must have enough energy to move from one energy band to another. The conduction band is the band that contains the free electrons that are responsible for conducting electricity.
A conductor is a material with overlapping energy bands, meaning that there is very little energy required for electrons to move between bands and therefore the material can easily conduct electricity. In contrast, an insulator has large energy gaps between bands, making it difficult for electrons to move and thus does not conduct electricity well.
As temperature increases, the atoms in a metal vibrate more, making it more difficult for electrons to move between energy bands. This results in a decrease in electrical conductivity. Conversely, decreasing the temperature can increase the conductivity of a metal.
Yes, electrical current can flow through all metals as they all have free electrons within their atomic structure. However, the ease at which the current can flow varies depending on the metal's energy band structure and temperature.