Suppose a metallic resistor is connected across a battery. If the number of collisions of the free electrons with the lattice in the resistor is somehow reduced (for instance, by cooling it), the current will

Step-by-step solution

The drift velocity of free electrons in a metallic conductor is given by v_d = eE m , where is the relaxation time (the average time between successive collisions). If the number of collisions of free electrons with the lattice is reduced, the relaxation time increases. As a result, the drift velocity v_d of the electrons increases. The electric current flowing through the resistor is given by I = neAv_d . Since the drift velocity v_d increases, the current I will increase. Alternatively, the resistance of the cond