Final answer:
To find the drift velocity of electrons in a copper wire, the density of charge carriers is calculated using the density of copper, atomic mass, and Avogadro's number. With the density of charge carriers, the current, and the cross-sectional area of the wire, the drift velocity can be determined using the formula I = nqAvd.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the drift velocity of electrons in a copper wire, we use the formula I = nqAvd, where I is the current, n is the density of charge carriers (number of free electrons per cubic meter), q is the charge of an electron, A is the cross-sectional area of the wire, and vd is the drift velocity.
The density of copper is given as 8.80 × 10³ kg/m³, the atomic mass of copper is 63.54 g/mol, and Avogadro's number is 6.02 × 10²³ atoms/mol. Using these values, the density of charge carriers n can be found with the following steps:
- Convert the atomic mass of copper to kilograms from grams: 63.54 g/mol × 1 kg/1000 g = 6.354 × 10²µ kg/mol.
- Calculate moles of copper in 1 m³ based on its density: 8.80 × 10³ kg/m³ / 6.354 × 10²µ kg/mol = 1.384 × 10²¸ mol/m³.
- Calculate the number of free electrons in 1 m³ using Avogadro's number: 1.384 × 10²¸ mol/m³ × 6.02 × 10²³ atoms/mol = 8.34 × 10²¸ free electrons/m³.
With the number of free electrons n, the charge of an electron q = 1.60 × 10²±¹ C, and the cross-sectional area of the wire, the drift velocity vd can be calculated.