Current Electricity and Electrical InstrumentHard

Question

Figure shows a thick copper rod X and a thin copper wire Y, joined in series. They carry a current which is sufficient to make Y much hotter than X. Which one of the following is correct ?Figure shows a thick copper rod X and a thin copper wire Y, joined in series. They carry a current which is sufficient to make Y much hotter than X. Which one of the following is correct ?

Options

A.Density of conduction electrons  -                           Same in X and Y
Mean time between collisions of the electrons -     Less in X than Y
B.Density of conduction electrons  -                           Same in X and Y
Mean time between collisions of the electrons -     Same in X and Y
C.Density of conduction electrons  -                           Same in X and Y
Mean time between collisions of the electrons -     More in X than Y
D.Density of conduction electrons  -                           More in X than Y
Mean time between collisions of the electrons -     Less in X than Y

Solution

The number density n of conduction electrons in the copper is a characteristic of the copper and is about 1029 at room temperature for both the copper rod X and the thin copper wire Y.
Both X and Y Carry the same current I since they are joined in series. From I = neAvd.
We may conclude that rod X has a lower drift velocity of electrons compared to wire Y since rod X has larger cross-sectional area. This is so because the electrons in X collide more often with one another and with the copper ions when drifting towards the positive end. Thus, the mean time between collisions of the electrons is more in X and than than in Y.

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