Metals as conductors of electric current
When electric current passes through metals, no significant changes are observed, with the exception of the obligatory heating. Metals have a high concentration of electrons, which influence the level of conductivity. They are constantly moving at high speed.
At the nodes of the crystal lattices of metals there are positive ions that produce thermal vibrations. In the gaps between them, free electrons move, which are accelerated by an electric field.
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY (electrical conductivity), the ability of a substance to conduct electricity. current under the influence of electricity fields; physical a value that quantitatively characterizes this ability. P. e. is caused by the presence of free charge carriers in the substance, the directional movement of which creates electricity. current.
In homogeneous isotropic conductors, the electrical density current $\boldsymbol j$ is related to the electric voltage. field $\boldsymbol E$ Ohm's law $\boldsymbol j=σ\boldsymbol E$, where the constant coefficient. proportionality $σ$ is called P. e. or specific conductivity. The reciprocal of specific conductivity is called specific electrical conductivity. resistance.
In anisotropic conductors, e.g. in single crystals, P. e. may be different for different directions. This leads to non-collinearity of the vectors $\boldsymbol j$ and $\boldsymbol E$ and a tensor connection between them: $\boldsymbol j_i=σ_{i
