Q.State the microscopic form of Ohm's law.
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Building I from first principles. Consider a conductor of cross-sectional area A carrying n free electrons per unit volume, all moving with the same drift velocity vd. In a small time interval dt, every electron within a thin slice of thickness dx=vddt crosses the cross-section; the number of electrons in that slice is n⋅Adx=nAvddt, and since each carries charge e, the charge crossing in time dt is dQ=neAvddt. Dividing by dt gives the central microscopic-model result,
I=neAvd
directly connecting the everyday, measurable current I to the microscopic quantities n (electron density), e (electron charge), A (cross-sectional area) and vd (drift velocity).
Current density. Dividing current by cross-sectional area defines the current density, J=I/A, SI unit A/m2; substituting the result above gives J=nevd. In general, current density is treated as a vector J=nevd, pointing along the direction of (conventional) current flow at a given point -- distinct from the total current I through a surface, which is the scalar quantity I=J⋅A built by dotting the current-density vector with the chosen surface's area vector. …
The microscopic form of Ohm's law is J=σE. …
Step 1. Starting from the drift-velocity relation vd=−(eτ/m)E and the current-density relation J=nevd, substituting gives J=−(ne2τ/m)E.
Step 2. Taking the conventional direction of current density along E (standard convention), this is written J=σE, where σ=ne2τ/m is defined as the conductivity of the material. …
Showing the 12 most recent of 15 on this concept.
- CBSE 2026Set A1 markMCQQ.In a metallic conductor, the current is carried by (A) free electrons (B) protons (C) free electrons and protons (D) bound electrons
›Reveal solutionSolution
Metals conduct via their sea of free electrons.
In a metallic conductor the outermost (valence) electrons of the atoms are loosely bound and become delocalised, forming a 'sea' of free electrons. When a potential difference is applied, these free electrons drift opposite to the field, constituting the electric current. …
- CBSE 2026Set A1 markMCQQ.The relationship between current density J, specific conductance σ and electric field intensity E is (A) E = σJ (B) E = σ/J (C) J = E/σ (D) J = σE
›Reveal solutionSolution
The microscopic form of Ohm's law is J = σE.
Ohm's law in microscopic (point) form relates the current density J to the electric field E through the conductivity σ:
J=σE
…
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Define current density.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Current density is a vector describing how much current flows through a unit area, in the direction of current flow.
Current density (J) at a point in a conductor is defined as the amount of electric current flowing per unit area of cross-section held perpendicular to the direction of current flow at that point: J = I/A (for uniform current over a flat area A). It is a vector quantity, its direction being the direction in which positive charge is flowing (conventional current direction). Its SI unit is ampere per square metre (A/m^2). For a general (possibly non-unif …
- CBSE 2025Set 55/4/11 markMCQQ.A current flows through a cylindrical conductor of radius R. The current density at a point in the conductor is j=αr (along its axis), where α is a constant and r is the distance from the axis of the conductor. The current flowing through the portion of the conductor from r=0 to r=2R is proportional to: (A) R (B) R2 (C) R3 (D) R4
›Reveal solutionSolution
The current is found by integrating the current density over the cross-sectional area. Since j=αr, the current through a radius R/2 scales as R3, making option (C) correct.
The key here is to understand that current density j is the current per unit area. When j varies with r, you cannot simply multiply by area — you must integrate. The problem gives j=αr, meaning the current density increases linearly from zero at the centre to a maximum at the surface. We want the total current through only the inner half of the conductor's cross-section (from r=0 to r=R/2).
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Set up the integral for current.
The current through a tiny ring of radius r and thickness dr is dI=j⋅dA, where dA is the area of that ring. For a ring, dA=2πrdr.
So dI=(αr)⋅(2πrdr)=2παr2dr.
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Integrate from the centre to R/2.
I=∫0R/22παr2dr=2πα[3r3]0R/2=2πα⋅3(R/2)3=2πα⋅24R3=12παR3.
- Identify the proportionality. The result is I=12παR3. Since π and α are constants, I∝R3. …
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- CBSE 2025Set JS1 markQ.Electron in the hydrogen atom is moving round the nucleus with 6.0×1015 cycle per second. What will be the value of current at a point on circular path?
›Reveal solutionSolution
An electron circulating f=6.0×1015 times per second carries a charge e past any point each revolution, giving an equivalent current I=ef=9.6×10−4 A.
Concept. Current is charge crossing a point per unit time, I=q/t. A single electron completing f revolutions per second passes any point on its orbit f times each second, so the charge crossing that point per second is e×f. Thus the equivalent cur …
- CBSE 2025Set D1 markMCQQ.The unit of current density is (A) ampere (A) (B) coulomb (C) (C) ampere per square metre (A/m^2) (D) volt per metre (V/m)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Current density J = I/A has SI unit A/m².
Current density is the current flowing per unit cross-sectional area of a conductor:
J=AI
…
- CBSE 2024Set A11 markMCQQ.The current density is a(a) scalar and its SI unit is Am2(b) vector and its SI unit is A/m3(c) vector and its SI unit is A/m2(d) scalar and its SI unit is A/m
›Reveal solutionSolution
(c) vector and its SI unit is A/m2 …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Current density is a -(a) scalar quantity(b) vector quantity(c) dimensionless quantity(d) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Current density J=vdne has both magnitude and direction — it is properly a vector quantity.
Current density is defined as the current flowing per unit cross-sectional area, in the direction of current flow: J=nevd, where vd is the drift velocity vector, n the free-electron density, and e the electron charge. Because it carries directional information (unlike current itself, which is a scalar obtained by dotting J with an area vector and integrating), current density is correctly classified as a vector quantity — this is …
- CBSE 2023Set B1 markMCQQ.S.I. unit of current density is(i) Coulomb / meter(ii) Ampere / meter²(iii) Coulomb / meter²(iv) Ampere / meter
›Reveal solutionSolution
Current density is current flowing per unit area of cross-section; its SI unit is A/m².
Current density (J) at a point in a conductor is defined as the amount of current flowing per unit area of cross-section held perpendicular to the direction of current flow:
J=AI …
- CBSE 2022Set I1 markMCQQ.Which of the following is correct for current density? (A) J = I·A (B) J = I/A (C) J = A/I (D) J = I^2 A
›Reveal solutionSolution
Current density J = I/A (current per unit area).
Current density is the current flowing per unit cross-sectional area of the conductor, measured perpendicular to the flow:
J=AI
…
- CBSE 2022Set I1 markMCQQ.Ampere-hour is the unit of (A) power (B) charge (C) energy (D) potential difference
›Reveal solutionSolution
Charge = current × time, so ampere-hour is a unit of electric charge.
Electric charge is q=It. Multiplying a current (ampere) by a time (hour) therefore gives a quantity of charge:
…
- CBSE 2021Set A1 markMCQQ.One ampere is equal to (A) 1 coulomb / 1 second (B) 1 coulomb × 1 second (C) 1 volt × 1 ohm (D) 1 ohm / 1 volt
›Reveal solutionSolution
1 ampere = 1 coulomb per second.
Electric current is the rate of flow of charge, I = q/t. The SI unit ampere is therefore defined so that a current of one ampere flows when one coulomb of charge passes a cross-section each second:
1 A=1 s1 C
…
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