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Lesson 1

Uploaded by

oneclickcyberservice
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Convection and Conduction Currents

Materials are broadly classified in terms of their electrical properties, i.e. conductivity ( 㑘 )
as conductors ( ) and nonconductors (insulators or dielectrics) - . A material whose
conductivity lies somewhere between those of metals and insulators is called a semiconductor.

The current (in amperes) through a given area is the electric charge passing through the area per
unit time i.e.

Steady current refers to current that is not a function of time, i.e. direct current, while time-
varying currents are functions of time. Let us introduce the concept of volume current density J.
If a current flows through a surface , the current density is given by

Note: the above is the magnitude of J and the volume current density is assumed to be
perpendicular to the surface, i.e. 㑘 is normal component of the current density. But in general if
the current density is not normal to the surface, then

Thus, the total current flowing through a surface S is

The volume current density is a vector quantity whose units are

Depending on how the current is produced, there are different kinds of current densities;
including convection current density, conduction current density, and displacement current
density. We will consider convection and conduction current densities in this lesson;
displacement current density will be considered later. Note that the equation above applies to any
kind of current density.

Convection current, does not involve conductors and consequently does not satisfy Ohm's law. It
occurs when current flows through an insulating medium such as liquid, rarefied gas, or a
vacuum. A beam of electrons in a vacuum tube, for example, is convection current.

Consider a filament as shown in the diagram below, e.g. charges flowing through a dielectric
If there is a flow of charge, of volume charge density , at a velocity of , then
the current through the filament is given by

The current density in the y direction is given by;

Therefore, in general

J is the convection volume current density in (equation also applies for conduction
current). Consider a region that has are positive and negative volume charge densities 㪘 and
t , moving with velocities 㪘 and t respectively. The charges will move in opposite
directions, but the currents due to the +ve and –ve charges will be in the same direction. Thus
the total volume current density in the region will be

㪘 㪘㪘 t t

Conduction current requires a conductor. A conductor is characterized by a large amount of free


electrons that provide conduction current due an impressed electric field. When an electric field
E is applied, the force on an electron with charge t t is

t t

Since the electron is not in free space, it suffers constant collision with the atomic lattice and
drifts from one atom to another. If the electron with mass is moving in an electric field E with
an average drift velocity u, according to Newton's law, the average change in momentum of the
free electron must match the applied force. Thus,
t t

where is the average time interval between collisions. This indicates that the drift velocity of
the electron is directly proportional to the applied field. If there are 㑘 electrons per unit volume,
the volume charge density is given by

t 㑘t

And the conduction current density is given by

㑘t

㑘t
Where is the conductivity of the conductor. is known as the point form of ohms
law.

It can be proved that the power density in a conductor is given by

Joules law in point form . Therefore, the power dissipated in a volume is given by

This is referred to as Joules law in integral form.

Continuity Equation

Consider a volume in space with a volume charge density of . Due to the principle of charge
conservation, the time rate of decrease of charge within a given volume must be equal to the net
outward current flow through the closed surface of the volume.

㑘
t

But

㑘
t t t

Therefore
t

This is the integral form of the equation of continuity. Invoking the divergence theorem

Therefore

Which reduces to

which is called the point form of the continuity equation

Relaxation Time

Consider an isolated linear homogenous and isotropic medium with permittivity and
conductivity , which has an excess charge density of (this charge is introduced into the
material. The electrostatic forces of repulsion among the charges will move the excess charge
out of the bounding surface of the medium in order to attain electrostatic equilibrium. During
this migration process, the equation of continuity must be satisfied. Thus at any point in the
medium

㪘 㓸

Substituting for we get

㪘 㓸

But hence

㪘 㓸

Which is a first order differential equation in terms of , with the following solution
ttt

is the volume charge density at 㓸 . The equation above indicates that equilibrium is
attained exponentially. The ratio

Has the dimensions of time, and is known as the relaxation time. is a measure of how fast a
conducting medium approaches electrostatic equilibrium. In fact the relaxation time is the lime
it takes a charge placed in the interior of a material to drop to tt or of its initial value.
The relaxation time is inversely proportional to the conductivity of the medium.

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