Tags Energy

Animals & Plants Arts & Entertainment Auto Beauty & Health Books and Literature Business Electronics Engineering & Technology Food & Drink History Hobbies Jobs & Education Law & Government Math People & Society Science Social Studies Sports Travel & Places

0

Subjects>Science>Physics

Why the potential energy is zero in free electron case?

Anonymous

∙ 12y ago

Updated: 5/27/2024

it is only zeo at the state of rest .

Wiki User

∙ 12y ago

Still curious? Ask our experts.

Chat with our AI personalities

Lao

The path is yours to walk; I am only here to hold up a mirror.

Chat with Lao

Fran

I've made my fair share of mistakes, and if I can help you avoid a few, I'd sure like to try.

Chat with Fran

Beau

You're doing better than you think!

Chat with Beau

More answers

In the case of a free electron, there is no external force acting on the electron, so no work is done to displace it. Since potential energy is associated with work done in displacing an object against a force, the potential energy of a free electron is considered to be zero.

AnswerBot

∙ 10mo ago

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts

Q: Why the potential energy is zero in free electron case?

Write your answer...

Submit

Still have questions?

imp

Continue Learning about Physics

What is the difference between free electron theory and nearly free electron theory?

The free electron theory assumes that electrons in a solid are completely free to move throughout the material, without any interaction with the crystal lattice. In contrast, the nearly free electron theory recognizes that there are some interactions between the electrons and the crystal lattice, leading to energy bands and band gaps in the electron's motion within the solid.

How does energy remain constant during free fall?

In free fall, gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as an object falls. This transfer of energy occurs such that the total mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) of the object remains constant in the absence of non-conservative forces like air resistance. Therefore, the object's total energy (kinetic + potential) is conserved during free fall.

Is it possible to have more kinetic energy than potential energy?

Yes, it is possible to have more kinetic energy than potential energy. Kinetic energy is associated with the motion of an object, while potential energy is associated with its position or state. For example, in free fall, an object has maximum kinetic energy and minimal potential energy at the bottom of its trajectory.

The term for free electrons in metals transferring energy by colliding with other atoms or electrons?

The term is "electron diffusion." In metals, free electrons can transfer energy through collisions with other atoms or electrons, leading to a net movement of charge known as electron diffusion.

Energy conservation during free-fall?

During free-fall, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as an object falls due to gravity. This conversion process is an example of energy conservation, where the total mechanical energy (potential energy + kinetic energy) of the object remains constant throughout the fall in the absence of external forces like air resistance.

Trending Questions

How are parallel circuit lights better than series circuit lights using science facts? What is the significance of the rare diagram in the field of astronomy and how does it contribute to our understanding of celestial phenomena? How do you use lubricant to reduce friction? What is it when Light rays refract away from the optical axis and never meet? Why are the starting times of washers staggered? If a person tries to lift a heavy box for 5 seconds and can't make it budge the work done on the box is equal to the amount of energy the person uses? What is the law that describes the movement of air from areas of high pressure to low pressure? A 120 ohm resistor a 60 ohm resistor and a 40 ohm resistor are connected in parallel to a 120 volt power source. What is the current running through the 40 ohm resistor? What are two things that determine the color of a light wave? Where in water is the lowest density? What signal has the longest wavelength? What is another name of static charge? When an experiment shows that one variable makes another variable change and no other variable have any effect the experiment shown? What forces have a negative effect on velocity just list them? Does potential energy increase when temperature increase? How many watts does a coffee percolator use? What causes all sounds to occur? How does bubble wrap work? What is Moment magnitude definition? Why water evaporates most quickly than other liquids?

Related Questions

What is the change of energy called as it moves between kinetic energy and potential energy and back again?

The change of energy as it moves between kinetic and potential energy is called mechanical energy. This occurs in systems where the total mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) remains constant, such as in the case of an object in free fall or a swinging pendulum.

What is the difference between free electron theory and nearly free electron theory?

The free electron theory assumes that electrons in a solid are completely free to move throughout the material, without any interaction with the crystal lattice. In contrast, the nearly free electron theory recognizes that there are some interactions between the electrons and the crystal lattice, leading to energy bands and band gaps in the electron's motion within the solid.

How does energy remain constant during free fall?

In free fall, gravitational potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as an object falls. This transfer of energy occurs such that the total mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) of the object remains constant in the absence of non-conservative forces like air resistance. Therefore, the object's total energy (kinetic + potential) is conserved during free fall.

Can free electron absorb photon?

Yes, free electrons can absorb photons. When a photon interacts with a free electron, it can transfer its energy to the electron, causing it to move to a higher energy level or even be ejected from the material. This process is the basis for various phenomena such as photoelectric effect and Compton scattering.

What is the relationship between chemical potential and Gibbs free energy in a chemical system?

In a chemical system, the chemical potential is related to the Gibbs free energy. The chemical potential represents the energy required to add one molecule of a substance to the system, while the Gibbs free energy is a measure of the system's overall energy available to do work. The relationship between the two is that the change in Gibbs free energy of a reaction is related to the change in chemical potential of the reactants and products involved in the reaction.

Why does aluminum conduct?

Because it has a free electron in the conduction energy band.

What is Relationship between redox-potential and free energy?

The relationship between redox potential and free energy is that redox potential is a measure of the tendency of a molecule to lose or gain electrons, which relates to the change in free energy associated with the redox reaction. A more positive redox potential indicates a greater tendency to lose electrons and a more negative redox potential indicates a greater tendency to gain electrons, reflecting the spontaneity of the redox reaction and the associated change in free energy.

Why does aluminum conduct electricity?

Because it has a free electron in the conduction energy band.

What is energy released on adding an electron to an isolated gas phase atom?

The energy released on adding an electron to an isolated gas phase atom is called electron affinity. It represents the willingness of an atom to accept an additional electron. The process can release energy if the atom's electron affinity is negative, indicating that the atom is stable after gaining an electron.

The merging of a free electron and a hole is called?

The merging of a free electron and a hole is called recombination. This process occurs in semiconductors when an electron fills a hole in the valence band, resulting in the release of energy in the form of light.

Which electron in oxygen have the higher energy those in the first energy level or those in the second?

The second level is associated with higher energy than the first is. Keep increasing the energy of an electron enough, and eventually it breaks free of the atom completely.

When do riders free-fall on a roller coaster?

Well in roller coasters there is potential and kinetic energy. So when the roller coaster is getting pulled up it is using kinetic energy while gaining potential energy. So the potential energy it gained is used while going down and not being pulled.

Still have questions?

imp

Resources

Top Categories

Product

Company

Copyright ©2025 Infospace Holdings LLC, A System1 Company. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Answers.