In: Electrical Engineering
Copper has 8.5∙1028 free electrons per cubic meter. A 71.0 cm length of 12-gauge copper wire that is 2.05 mm in diameter carries 4.85 A of current. (a) How much time does it take for an electron to travel the length of the wire? (b) Repeat part (a) for 6-gauge copper wire (diameter 4.12 mm) of the same length that carries the same current. (c) More generally, how does changing the diameter of the wire that carries a given amount of current affect the drift velocity of the electrons in the wire?