Drift velocity (concept & intuition) | Electricity | Physics | Khan Academy

Khan Academy India - English12 minutes read

George Ohm established Ohm's Law in 1827, and upcoming videos will focus on how electrons contribute to understanding the law, exploring concepts like drift velocity and the motion of electrons in a conductor. The presence of a battery accelerates electrons towards the positive terminal, leading to drift motion and energy transfer to ions, resulting in heat generation within the conductor.

Insights

  • Ohm's Law, established by George Ohm in 1827, states that the current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference applied across it, providing a fundamental relationship in understanding electrical circuits.
  • Exploring the microscopic perspective of Ohm's Law reveals that the motion of electrons within a conductor, driven by a battery-induced drift velocity, is essential for the flow of current, highlighting the intricate interplay between electron behavior, acceleration, collisions, and thermal effects in electrical systems.

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Recent questions

  • What is Ohm's Law?

    Ohm's Law states current equals potential difference.

  • How do electrons move in a conductor?

    Electrons move randomly without a battery.

  • What is drift velocity?

    Drift velocity is the constant velocity of electrons.

  • How do electrons transfer energy in a conductor?

    Electrons transfer energy to ions upon collision.

  • How does drift velocity change with temperature?

    Drift velocity decreases with higher temperature.

Related videos

Summary

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Understanding Ohm's Law Through Electron Motion

  • George Ohm established Ohm's Law in 1827, stating that current through a conductor equals the potential difference across it.
  • Electrons were discovered around the 1900s, prompting the question of deriving Ohm's Law from a microscopic viewpoint.
  • The focus of upcoming videos will be on understanding why Ohm's Law holds true from the perspective of electrons.
  • The motion of electrons inside a conductor and the concept of drift velocity will be explored in this video.
  • Electrons move randomly with high speeds in all directions without a battery, leading to no current due to collisions with metallic ions.
  • In the presence of a battery, electrons experience a force, accelerating them towards the positive terminal and causing drift motion.
  • Drift velocity, the constant velocity at which electrons drift due to the balance of acceleration and collisions, is crucial for current flow.
  • The energy from the battery accelerates electrons, which transfer energy to ions upon collision, resulting in heat generation in the conductor.
  • Thermal velocity of electrons remains constant with temperature changes, while drift velocity increases with a stronger field and decreases with higher temperature.
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