What does the conductivity of metals depend on?

The conductivity of metals depends on several factors, including the number of free electrons in the metal, the mobility of these free electrons, and the temperature of the metal. Metals with a higher number of free electrons and higher electron mobility tend to have higher conductivity. Additionally, the temperature of the metal can affect its conductivity, as higher temperatures can increase the resistance of the metal and decrease its conductivity.

The conductivity of metals depends on several factors:

- Temperature: As temperature increases, the free electrons in a metal gain more energy and move more rapidly. This results in an increase in collisions between electrons and lattice ions, which decreases the conductivity.
- Impurities: Impurities can act as scattering centers for free electrons, which reduces the conductivity. The more impurities present, the lower the conductivity.
- Crystal structure: Different crystal structures have different arrangements of atoms, which can affect the conductivity. For example, face-centered cubic (FCC) metals have a higher conductivity than body-centered cubic (BCC) metals.
- Magnetic order: Magnetic order can reduce the conductivity of metals. For example, ferromagnetic metals have a lower conductivity than non-ferromagnetic metals.
- Alloying: Alloying different metals can create new materials with unique properties. For example, adding copper to aluminum can increase the conductivity of the alloy.