This theory is very important to know the basic of physics. Free means there is no force between two or more system. as like gas molecule it can move free. so if you want to understand first try to understand behaver of gas molecules.
write note on free electron theory
Classical free electron theory could not explain many physical properties. In 1928, Sommerfeld developed a new theory applying quantum mechanical concepts and Fermi-Dirac statistics to the free electrons in the metal. This theory is called quantum free electron theory.
free electron model not take into account the potential neither the electron interaction. nearly free electron take into account the potential.J.C. Aguiar
Electronic theory is the theory of the behavior of the electron under various conditions including a free electron, a bound electron in either an outer or inner orbit of the atom.
Classical free electron theory is modeled by drude - Lorentz to explian elctrical conductivity in metals. According to this free electron in a metal (valence electron) move randdomly at room temperature and these free electron are drifted in opposite to the direection of the applied electric field. This is repsonsible for the conduction. Here all the free elctron are are considered as equal in all aspect.
Drawbacks of Classical free electron theory:1. It is macroscopic theory2. This theory cannot explain the electron conductivity ofsemiconductors and insulators.3. Ferromagnetism cannot be explained by this theory.4. This theory cannot explain the Photoelectric effect, Comptoneffect and the Black Body radiation.5. The calculated value of specific heat of metals is not matchingwith the experimental value.6. At low temperature, Lorentz number is not a constant. But by12classical theory it is a constant.7. Dual nature cannot be explained.8. Atomic fine spectra cannot be explained.9. Classical theory states that all the free electrons will absorbenergy, but quantum theory states that only few electrons willabsorb energy
Electrons are fermions and thus cannot occupy the same quantum states. They obey Fermi-Dirac statistics, and will occupy energy levels accordingly. This is different to the classica state where all electrons are pretty much equal (equal energies etc) and are not taken to be distrubuted amongst multiple states and energies. See Fermi Gas Model for a treatment of quantum free electron theory.
The free electron theory assumes that electrons in a metal behave like a gas of free particles. It also assumes that these electrons are not restricted to individual atoms, can move freely through the metal lattice, and are responsible for various electrical and thermal properties of metals.
the same way an insulator and a conductor will work with out the electron theory!
There is no single unified theory that explains all correlated electron systems.
an atom
Rutherford.