Charge Motion in Metals

Written by Will Rountree

Mobile Electron Sea

Metals, like all matter, are made of atoms. These atoms consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons. The majority of metals have few electrons in the outer orbitals, meaning that valence electrons are not tightly bound to the nucleus and are able to move through the material. The electrons aren't shared or transferred between atoms; they are available to all nuclei in the metal. Often there is only free electron per atom, but that is all it takes to create a "sea" of electrons surrounding the atoms. Due to every atom lacking a negatively charged electron, the atoms are positively charged and remain bound together by the "sea."