Question

3 A current is flowing through two identical conductors having diameter equal to 0.2 cm. These conductors are then split into three identical conductors each having 0.1cm diameter (see figure below) Calculate the drift velocities in the thicker and the thinner conductors.

The electron density = 7× 1028 m-3. All the conductors are made of the same material. The electric charge on electron is equal to = 1.6 × 10–19C

Answer 1

At the junction the algebraic sum of currents is zero. The drift velocity of charges is the ratio of current density to the charge density.

The current density in the thicker wire

6A total current is flowing through the three identical conductors (As per Kirchhoff’* First Law).

∴ The current flowing through each of the wires =2A