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Grade 12Electric Current

Define drift velocity and derive an expression for it

Profile image of Saad Afroz
8 Years agoGrade 12
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1 Answer

Profile image of Arun
8 Years ago
Dreift velocity is the velocity attained by any particle such as electron when kept in an electric field
Let the electron have charge e,  mass m and kept in a electric field E inside a conductor.
The force experienced by the electron F = eE
Acceleration due to the force   = eE/m
Now displacement s due to the acceleration s = ½at2
Average velocity  vd  (drift velocity = Total displacement / total time taken
= s/t
vd = eE/2m