Which one of the following is primarily responsible for conduction of

Which one of the following is primarily responsible for conduction of current in a metal ?

Bound electrons

Free electrons

Both bound and free electrons

Ions

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Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2024

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In metals, the atoms are arranged in a lattice structure. The outermost electrons of metal atoms are not bound to specific atoms but are delocalized and form a “sea” of electrons that can move freely throughout the material. These are called free electrons or conduction electrons. When a voltage is applied across a metal conductor, these free electrons drift in a directed manner, constituting an electric current. Bound electrons are tightly held within the atoms and do not contribute to conduction. Ions (the positively charged atomic remnants in the lattice) are essentially fixed in position and do not move to carry current in solid metals.

– Electrical current in conductors is the flow of charge carriers.
– In metals, the charge carriers are free electrons.
– Free electrons are valence electrons that are not bound to individual atoms and can move throughout the material.

In other materials, different charge carriers are responsible for conduction. For example, in electrolytes, both positive and negative ions carry current. In semiconductors, both electrons and holes (absence of an electron) contribute to conduction. However, in typical solid metals, the primary carriers are free electrons.

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