Two wires, one of copper and the other of aluminium, have equal lengths and equal…
PHYSICS · Subjective · CBSE · Physics · Current Electricity · Current Electricity
Problem
Two wires, one of copper and the other of aluminium, have equal lengths and equal radii. They are connected in series in the same circuit so that a current of 3.0A passes through each of them. The number density of free electrons in copper is 8.5×1028m−3, while that in aluminium is 6.0×1028m−3. The charge of an electron is 1.6×10−19C.
(a) Calculate the ratio of the magnitudes of drift velocities in the copper and aluminium wires.
(b) Which wire has the greater magnitude of drift velocity? Give a brief reason based on your answer to part (a).