# Pressure of electrons in a metal

Suppose we apply a tensile/compressive stress of, say, 2 atm on a metal rod. If we consider a metal as consisting of electronic and lattice subsystems, could we say the the pressure of the conduction electrons (i.e. the electronic subsystem) is also 2 atm? If not, what is the pressure of the electronic subsystem and what determines that?

I guess that if there is such thing as pressure of conduction electrons it is something different from lattice stress.

• Thanks. The relation for "electron degeneracy pressure" in that wikipedia article is derived for a free electron gas, where electrostatic electron-electron and electron-ion interactions are neglected. The article also speaks of the "normal gas pressure" which "at commonly encountered densities" is "so low that it can be neglected". The relation $P=nkT$ is given for this kind of pressure, which is derived for an ideal gas. I'm wondering what happens to these two equations if we take into account the electrostatic interactions. – apadana Nov 18 '17 at 15:56