Chapter 7
Free Electron Theory of Metals: Part 1: Model and Applications to Static Properties
7.1 INTRODUCTION
Metals occupy a special place in the study of solids. They are good conductors of heat and electricity, are ductile and malleable, and show striking lustre on freshly exposed surfaces.
People since long have tried to explain the properties of metals but without much success. In 1897, electron was discovered by J.J. Thomson, and this discovery had a great impact on the study of structure of matter. In 1900, Drude used the property of the newly discovered particle, the electron, to explain the special properties of metals starting from electrical and thermal conductivities. He used the postulates, concepts, and results of the then very ...
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