Which are faster carriers of heat through a metal: electrons or phonons? Approximately how much...?
Answers
Answer:
In metals, both electrons and photons carry heat.
Electrons are the smallest particles that carry a negative charge and cannot be further divided into smaller particles. And photons are discrete small packets of energy, also called as a quantum of electromagnetic radiation.
Both atomic concept and photon concepts are distinct, but whenever we study about energy or heat transfer, both concepts are applicable.
If we will try to understand that who carries heat faster through a metal, either electrons or photons, then the answer is electrons. The reason is, Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity and always carry some valence electrons. If we look at the concept of photons, then we will observe that every substance carry photons, but there is no such concept as valency in photons, if we consider any material other than metals, then photon may be the answer. But, for metals, valence electrons are the reason behind faster heat flow through the process of conduction.
As different metals have the different numbers of valence electrons. Therefore, the rate of heat transfer cannot be approximated.
Answer:) Electrons will be the faster carrier than the phonons.