Question

Consider a wire made of copper, composed of copper atoms. Each copper atom has one electron in its outermost shell, which is loosely bound to the atom. At room temperature, would these loosely bound electrons (one for each atom) become free? The binding energy for these electrons is 7.72 eV.

a.Yes, at room temperature, the loosely bound electrons in copper become free.
b.No, at room temperature, the electrons remain bound to the copper atoms.
c.The binding energy is insufficient information to determine the behavior of the electrons.
d. None of the above

Answer 1

At room temperature, the outermost electrons in copper atoms become free, transforming into conduction electrons that facilitate electrical conductivity, a concept supported by the free electron model of metal conductivity. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The behavior of electrons in copper at room temperature can be explained by considering the binding energy and the properties of metals. At room temperature, the loosely bound outer electrons in copper which have a binding energy of 7.72 eV indeed become free electrons.

This is due to the fact that these electrons can be easily dislodged and move throughout the copper structure, thus allowing copper to be a good conductor of electricity. The free electron model supports this by treating electrons as a gas of free particles at positive temperatures, moving through the potential well of the metal lattice.

However, as temperature increases, such as when copper is heated, the energy of the copper atoms increases, enabling them to overcome the forces holding them together, which can ultimately lead to electrons being 'boiled off' or escaping the metal's surface, as in the photoelectric effect. Hence, the correct answer to whether the outermost electrons become free at room temperature is a.Yes, the outermost electrons in copper become free at room temperature.