If an electric field is applied to a metal:
A)very few electrons are excited into the conduction band.
B)electrons having energies near the Fermi energy require only a small amount of additional energy from the applied field to reach nearby empty energy states.
C)electrons having energies near the bottom of the band require only a small amount of additional energy from the applied field to reach nearby empty energy states.
D)the principal mode of conduction is through the motion of holes in the filled part of the band.
E)the Fermi energy Ef becomes equal to the applied electric field E.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When an electric field is applied to a metal, the electrons having energies near the Fermi energy require only a small amount of additional energy from the applied field to reach nearby empty energy states. This leads to a flow of current, and the metal behaves as a conductor.

If an Electric Field Is Applied to a Metal