Palladium has mass density and molar mass

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Condensed Matter, Materials & Soft Matter · Free electrons, energy bands and electronic structure · Free electrons, energy bands and electronic structure

Solid State Physics, Ch The degenerate electron gas, finished

Problem

Palladium has mass density ρm=12.02 g cm−3\rho_m=12.02\,\mathrm{g\,cm^{-3}} and molar mass M=106.42 g mol−1M=106.42\,\mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. For the purpose of a free-electron estimate, assume Z=1Z=1 nominally itinerant electron per atom (the narrow 4d4d states are, by construction, not part of a free-electron count). The measured electronic heat-capacity coefficient (tabulated, low-temperature specific-heat measurement) is γexpt=9.42 mJ mol−1K−2\gamma_{\rm expt}=9.42\,\mathrm{mJ\,mol^{-1}K^{-2}}. ((a)) Find the assumed conduction-electron number density nn. ((b)) Find the free-electron EFE_F and γfree\gamma_{\rm free} in mJ mol−1K−2\mathrm{mJ\,mol^{-1}K^{-2}}. ((c)) Compute the thermal mass. ((d)) Name the two mechanisms that could together produce this thermal mass and explain which is the more plausible dominant contributor for a metal with a narrow, nearly full dd band sitting at EFE_F, stating explicitly that the heat capacity by itself cannot prove this.

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