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Fermi Energy of Electrons
| Content Provider | AK Lectures |
|---|---|
| Description | The density of states is a mathematical function that provides us with the number of possible quantum states that electrons can take per unit volume per unit energy inside a solid metal. But how exactly do electrons fill the different quantum states that can exist inside solid metals? Before we examine this question directly, lets begin with a simpler case. Let us suppose that we decrease the temperature of the solid metal to absolute zero. What will happen to the electrons then? According to classical theory, the electrons (which can be treated as an electron gas or Fermi gas) would lose all kinetic energy and since they were assumed to have no potential energy to begin with, their total energy would drop to zero and they would cease to move. However, this means that since all electrons have the same energy, they would drop down to the same quantum state and we know this cannot be true. Quantum mechanics however explains a different story. At a temperature of absolute zero, all electrons would drop down to their lowest possible energy quantum state and a maximum of two electrons would be found in any quantum state with equal energy. In such a case, the energy of the highest possible quantum state of the electron is known as the Fermi energy of Fermi level. |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Modern Physics move question function metal electron metals electrons decrease story |
| Content Type | Video |
| Educational Role | Teacher Student |
| Educational Use | Self Learning Lecture Reading |
| Resource Type | Video Lecture |
| Education Level | Under Graduate |
| Subject | Classical mechanics; solid mechanics |
