Since the rise in temperature decreases the binding energy in polycrystalline metal oxides which assists the charge carriers to jump over the barrier. Will the increase in electrical conductivity with increasing temperature be due to the increase in activation energy?
An activation energy is in first approximation a constant. The increase in conductivity happens because the charge carriers have more energy and are therefore more likely to pass over the barrier.
Activation energy is the required energy for conduction of charge carriers which is a constant. Electrical conductivity increases with temperature due to increase in the internal energy with temp and the charge carriers are able to overcome the barrier.
@ Muhammad Jave
Activation energy of electrical conduction should not depend on temperature. Conductivity increases with temperature in any non metallic solid. An increase in conductivity at a particular temperature shows in indication of decrease of activation energy and not due to an increase as you think. Change in activation energy may be associated with excess charge carriers generated or due to change in band gap which is quite unlikely just due to temperature unless phase change takes place due to rise in temperature.
Thank you Jürgen Weippert, Dr A. Kumar and Sapna Kumari for your replies.
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