Final answer:
To find the drift speed, use the formula vd = I / (nAq), and to find the mean time between collisions, use the formula τ = L / vd.
Step-by-step explanation:
Given an electric field of 2.5×10-3 V/m and a current of 5.2×1017 electrons/s in a 1.1-mm-diameter aluminum wire, we can calculate the drift speed and mean time between collisions for electrons in the wire.
To find the drift speed, we can use the formula vd = I / (nAq), where I is the current, n is the number of free electrons per unit volume, A is the cross-sectional area of the wire, and q is the charge of an electron. The drift speed will be the ratio of the current to the product of the number of free electrons, cross-sectional area, and charge of an electron.
The mean time between collisions can be calculated using the formula τ = L / vd, where L is the mean free path of the electrons and vd is the drift speed. The mean time between collisions will be the ratio of the mean free path to the drift speed.