Study of the electrical conductivity of metals

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)

Here we consider a homogeneous

distribution of current inside the surface
S . The measuring unit for current density

2
is: [ j ]SI = A / m

Fig. 1. The current flow through a space region of a

cylindrical form. The orientation of the current
intensity is determined by the direction of movement
of positively charged particles.

Let us consider that the charged

particles carrying the charge q are
displacing with the average velocity (also
called drift velocity) vd
due to the

action of the electric field and the

collisions between particles. The drift velocity vd is related to the electric field intensity E by the
formula:

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 .

Another quantity that characterizes the charge

transport of a material is the electric resistivity defined as:

(7)

The measuring unit for the electric resistivity is: [ ]SI = m .

Starting from the local form of Ohms law given by Eq.(5) the integral form can be
derived

I = jS =ES =

1U
S .
l

(8)

This form can be further arranged by substituting

R=

l
S

the electric resistance of the material. Consequently Eq. (8) can be written as

(9)

I=

U
R

(10)

the well-known integral form of Ohms law.

Due to atomic vibrations, the movement of electric charges (electrons) is influenced by
the temperature. Consequently the resistivity depends not only on the physical properties of that
material but is also a function of temperature. For a restricted temperature range a linear
approximation of the temperature dependence of the resistivity applies:

= 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)

where m is the mass of one particle. Comparing Eq.

(12) with Eq. (3) and Eq. (6) we can express the
mean collisional time as a function of conductivity
constant:

c =

m
.
nq 2

(13)

The above formula allows us the evaluation of c

provided that the conductivity constant is known.

Fig.2. The experimental setup

In the above description the general case of a

charge q was used for derivation of the formula. In

the case of metallic materials the charge carriers are

the electrons. That is why for the metallic materials the same formulas apply by simply
substituting q = e . Another important observation is that the sense of the current flow inside
metallic materials is opposite to the electron movement.

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

2. Calculate the conductivity as the inverse of the resistivity: = 1/

3. Calculate the electric mobility with the formula: =
where n=8.4x10

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