Variation of thermopower of alkali metals at high temperatures

We have calculated, in an empirical form, the temperature variation of the thermopower of alkali metals in the 50–300 K region and at their melting points using the finite mean free path correction to the Ziman formulation as suggested by Ferraz and March. The structure factor was evaluated using the phenomenological models of Sharma-Joshi and Krebbs. Three different types of form factors were used in order to give a comparative test of the applied theories. Our results agree to a considerable extent with available experimental results. Finally, we give a brief discussion of some of the factors that could affect the thermopower of the metals investigated.