Electrical conduction

Electrical conduction is the movement of electrically charged particles through matter. The movement can form an electric current in response to an electric field. The underlying mechanism for this movement depends on the material.

Related Topics:
Electrically charged - Electric current - Electric field

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Conduction is well-described by Ohm's Law, which states that the current is proportional to the applied electric field. The ease with which current density (current per area) j appears in a material is measured by the conductivity σ, defined as:

Related Topics:
Ohm's Law - Conductivity

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:j = σ E

Related Topics:
J - E

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or its reciprocal resistivity ρ:

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:j = E / ρ

Related Topics:
J - E

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In anisotropic materials, σ and ρ are tensors.

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