Name: hall voltage and charge carriers
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:05:51.000Z
Duration: 1 min 30 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

north-carolina-k-12-science-standard-course-of-study

North Carolina K-12 Science Standard Course of Study

9-12

Physical Science

motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions

Motion and Stability- Forces and Interactions

PS.PSc.6.4

The Hall Effect

Consider a rectangular current-carrying conductor with electrons as charge carriers. When a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plane of the conductor, the electrons moving in a straight line drift due to the deflecting magnetic force.
The electrons accumulate on one side of the conductor, leaving excess positive charges on the other side. This charge separation creates an electric field within the conductor, which exerts an electric force on each electron opposing the magnetic force.
At equilibrium, the magnitude of electric force balances the magnetic force, stopping further drifting of the electrons. The potential difference between the two sides of the conductor is the hall voltage.
By expressing the drift velocity in terms of the current, the Hall voltage can also be used to measure the number density of the charge carriers.
Hall probes measure the magnitude of an unknown magnetic field from the Hall voltage and the conductor&#39;s known parameters.
A significant application of this discovery is that the polarity of the Hall voltage implies whether the charge carriers in the conductor are negative or positive.

the hall effect

Edwin H. Hall, in the year 1879, devised an experiment that could be used to identify the polarity of the predominant charge carriers in a conducting material. From a historical perspective, this experiment was the first to demonstrate that the charge carriers in most metals are negative.
<img alt="Magnetic deflection diagram; charge motion in electric field, Lorentz force; educational physics." src="/files/ftp_upload/13772/13772_Figure_1.png" style="text-align: center" data-altupdatedat="1754904545000" data-alt="Electromagnetic induction diagram; Lorentz force; electric and magnetic fields; QE, QvB equations." />
Consider a metal slab of width L in a constant magnetic field. The electrons move from the right to the left, so the magnetic force they experience pushes the electrons to the top edge of the slab. This leaves an excess negative charge at the top edge of the slab and an excess positive charge at the bottom edge of the slab, resulting in an electric field directed from the bottom to the top. The charge concentration at both edges builds until an equilibrium condition is established. At equilibrium, the electric force on the electrons in one direction is balanced by the magnetic force in the opposite direction. This scenario in which the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to one another is called a crossed-field situation.
The current in the slab I can be written in terms of the drift velocity, vd, and the cross-sectional area of the slab, A. The potential difference between the edges of the strip, which is otherwise called the Hall voltage, is given by,
<img alt="Benzene structure diagram; aromatic hydrocarbons; organic chemistry; molecular formula C6H6." src="/files/ftp_upload/13772/13772_Equation_1.png" style="text-align: center; height: 40px;" data-altupdatedat="1754904545000" data-alt="Bond angles diagram with hybridization, carbon atoms, sp3, sp2, sp, organic chemistry structure." />
The polarity of the Hall voltage shows whether the charge carriers are positive or negative. Another important application of this effect is for materials with a known density of charge carriers. The measured Hall voltage can give the value of an unknown magnetic field. In research laboratories in which the fields of the electromagnets used for precise measurements have to be highly steady, a "Hall probe" is commonly used as part of the electronic circuit to regulate the field.

Edwin H. Hall, in the year 1879, devised an experiment that could be used to identify the polarity of the predominant charge carriers in a conducting ...

Education

JoVE Core

Physics

Unit 1

Magnetic Forces and Fields

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

hall voltage and charge carriers

Hall voltage and charge carriers are explained through Edwin H. Hall’s 1879 experiment. His setup helped identify the polarity of the main charge carriers in a conducting material. It also showed, for the first time, that the charge carriers in most metals are negative.

A metal slab is placed in a constant magnetic field. The electrons move from right to left, so the magnetic force pushes them toward the top edge of the slab. This leaves excess negative charge at the top and excess positive charge at the bottom. As a result, an electric field forms from the bottom edge to the top edge.

The charge buildup continues until equilibrium is reached. At that point, the electric force on the electrons balances the magnetic force in the opposite direction. This is called a crossed-field situation because the electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other. The current in the slab, I, can be written in terms of the drift velocity, v d, and the cross-sectional area, A.

The potential difference between the two edges is called the Hall voltage. Its polarity reveals whether the charge carriers are positive or negative. When the density of charge carriers is known, the Hall voltage can also be used to find an unknown magnetic field. In research labs, a Hall probe is often used in electronic circuits to help regulate electromagnet fields so they stay steady for precise measurements.

Hall Voltage and Charge Carriers

magnetism

Magnetic Poles and Everyday Uses

Magnetism appears in many everyday objects, from toys and hangers to elevators, doorbells, and computer devices. Magnets have two poles, called north and south. Like poles repel each other, while unlike poles attract. Both poles can also attract unmagnetized iron. A single magnetic pole cannot be isolated, because every part of a magnet contains both a north pole and a south pole. A compass needle is a simple example of a magnet. It is a thin bar magnet suspended at its center, so it can turn...

magnetic fields

Magnetic Force on Moving Charges

Magnetic force on moving charges depends on motion, charge, and field direction. A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the space around it, along with its electric field. That magnetic field can then push on other moving charges or currents in the field. A magnetic field is a vector field, so it has direction as well as strength. At any point, the field direction is the direction a compass needle’s north pole points. The field strength is defined from the force a charged...

magnetic field lines

Reading Magnetic Field Lines

Magnetic field lines show the direction and strength of a magnetic field. They make it easier to picture how a magnet acts in space. Each line forms a closed loop around the magnet. For a bar magnet, the field lines leave the north pole and curve around to the south pole. They then continue through the magnet back to the north pole. This loop has no beginning or end. Magnetic field lines follow clear rules. The magnetic field points tangent to a field line at any point. A small compass points...

magnetic flux

Magnetic Flux Through Surfaces

Magnetic flux through a surface describes how much magnetic field passes across that surface. It is measured in weber (Wb), the SI unit for magnetic flux. Magnetic flux is a scalar quantity, not a vector. Three factors shape magnetic flux. They are the magnetic field strength B, the area the field crosses, and the orientation of the field relative to the surface. For a small area element dA, the flux depends on the part of the magnetic field that is normal, or perpendicular, to that element at...

motion of a charged particle in a magnetic field

motion-of-a-charged-particle-in-a-magnetic-field

Charged Particle Paths in Magnetic Fields

A charged particle in a magnetic field follows a path that depends on the direction of its velocity. When the field is uniform and the particle moves perpendicular to it, the magnetic field is the main factor that controls the motion, especially in a vacuum. The magnetic force is always perpendicular to the direction of motion, so the particle curves into a circle. Because the force stays perpendicular to velocity, it does no work on the particle. The kinetic energy and speed stay constant...

magnetic force

Magnetic Fields and Moving Charges

Magnetic fields and moving charges create magnetic force. A moving electric charge, or a current made of many moving charges, produces a magnetic field. When another current or moving charge enters that field, it feels a magnetic force in response. At the atomic level, magnetic forces come from interactions between moving electrons in the atoms of two bodies. The strength of magnetic force depends on several factors. It increases with the size of the charge and with the strength of the...

magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor

magnetic-force-on-a-current-carrying-conductor

Current and Magnetic Field Around a Wire

A current-carrying wire creates a magnetic field around it, and moving charges feel a force in that field. Because the magnetic field produced by moving charges is proportional to current, the wire itself acts as a source of magnetic field. A compass placed near the wire shows this effect by lining up tangentially around the wire. The magnetic field around a straight wire forms concentric circular loops. The right-hand rule helps determine the direction of those loops. If the thumb points in...

magnetic force on current-carrying wires: example

magnetic-force-on-current-carrying-wires-example

Balancing Weight with Magnetic Force

Magnetic force can balance the weight of a current-carrying wire when the wire sits in a magnetic field. Moving charges in the wire feel a force, so the wire itself can be pushed upward or downward. This example uses a flexible wire that is 40 cm long and has a mass of 10 g. It is held in a horizontal position inside a constant 0.40 T magnetic field. The goal is to find the current needed to remove the tension in the supporting leads. To do that, a free-body diagram is drawn first. The diagram...

force on a current loop in a magnetic field

force-on-a-current-loop-in-a-magnetic-field

Current Loops and Torque in Motors

Current loops in a magnetic field create the torque that drives a DC motor. A DC motor converts electrical energy into mechanical work. In a motor, wire loops sit inside a magnetic field. When current flows through the loops, the magnetic field pushes on them and makes the shaft rotate. The current is reversed when the loop lines up with the magnetic field. This keeps the torque on the loop going in the same direction. A commutator and brushes handle this reversal. The commutator switches the...

torque on a current loop in a magnetic field

torque-on-a-current-loop-in-a-magnetic-field

Current Loop Torque in Electric Motors

Current loop torque in electric motors shows how magnetic force can make a wire loop rotate. In an electric motor, loops of wire sit between magnets in a magnetic field. When current flows through the loops, the field applies torque. This rotation turns a shaft and converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. A rectangular current-carrying loop with N turns in a uniform magnetic field has zero net force. Even so, it can still experience net torque. The torque depends on the current I,...

Hall voltage and charge carriers are explained through Edwin H. Hall’s 1879 experiment. His setup helped identify the polarity of the main charge carriers in a conducting material. It also showed, for the first time, that the charge carriers in most metals are negative. A metal slab is placed in a constant magnetic field. The electrons move from right to left, so the magnetic force pushes them toward the top edge of the slab. This leaves excess negative charge at the top and excess positive...

thomson's e/m experiment

Electron Speed Selector in Thomson’s Tube

A velocity selector uses electric and magnetic fields to choose charged particles with one speed from a beam. Many beams from a heated cathode contain particles moving at different speeds, so this setup helps produce a uniform beam. The electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to the particle’s motion and to each other. In this arrangement, a particle with charge q, speed v, and mass m enters from the top. The magnetic field points into the plane of the paper, and the electric field...

key terms and concepts

Learn how Hall voltage forms in a magnetic field, how it reveals charge carrier polarity, and how Hall probes help measure and control magnetic fields.

Hall Voltage and Charge Carriers | JoVE K12

physics

JoVE Core Physics introduces the theory and application of fundamental physics topics, including kinematics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, statics, waves, and acoustics, with concise and easy-to-understand animated videos. Additionally, the scientist-in-action videos demonstrate the application of related concepts in classical and original research experiments performed in today's laboratories worldwide.

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

PS.9

PS.9.d

Alabama Course of Study Science

waves-and-their-applications-in-technologies-for-information-transfer

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

9-12.PS.2.3.b

Position and Displacement

The position of an object defines its location relative to a convenient frame of reference at any particular time. A frame of reference is an arbitrary ...

Average Velocity

To calculate the other physical quantities in kinematics, we must introduce the time variable. The time variable allows us not only to state the position ...

Instantaneous Velocity - I

The average velocity during a time interval cannot tell us how fast or in what direction a particle is moving at any given time during the interval. To ...

Instantaneous Velocity - II

Instantaneous velocity is the quantity that measures how fast an object is moving along its path. In other words, the instantaneous velocity of an object ...

Average Acceleration

The importance of understanding acceleration spans our day-to-day experiences, as well as the vast reaches of outer space and the tiny world of subatomic ...

Instantaneous Acceleration

Acceleration is in the direction of the change in velocity, but it is not always in the direction of motion. When an object slows down, its acceleration ...

Position and Displacement Vectors

To describe the motion of an object, one should first be able to describe its position (where it is at any particular time). More precisely, the position ...

average-and-instantaneous-velocity-vectors

Average and Instantaneous Velocity Vectors

To calculate other physical quantities in kinematics, the time variable must be introduced. The time variable not only allows us to state where an object ...

Acceleration Vectors

In everyday conversation, accelerating means speeding up. Acceleration is a vector in the same direction as the change in velocity, &#916;v, therefore the ...

Direction of Acceleration Vectors

Acceleration occurs when velocity changes in magnitude (an increase or decrease in speed), direction, or both. Although acceleration is in the direction ...

Linear Momentum

The term momentum is used in various ways in everyday language, most of which are consistent with the precise scientific definition. Generally, momentum ...

Force and Momentum

Force and momentum are intimately related. Force acting over time can change momentum, and Newton&#39;s second law of motion can be stated in its most ...

Analyze and interpret data to explain the motion of an object moving with a constant velocity or that is accelerating.

PS.PSc.4.1

Electrical Current

Electrical current is defined as the rate at which charge flows. When there is a large current present, such as that used to run a refrigerator, a large ...

Drift Velocity

The high speed of electrical signals results from the fact that the force between charges acts rapidly at a distance. Thus, when a free charge is forced ...

Current Density

The total amount of current flowing through one unit value of a cross-sectional area is referred to as current density. If the current flow is uniform, ...

Resistivity

When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electrical field is generated, and charges in the conductor feel the force due to the electrical field. The ...

Resistance

When a current moves through any conductor, the conductor causes some level of difficulty for the current to flow. The measure of that difficulty is known ...

Ohm's Law

Many materials exhibit a simple relationship between the values of current, voltage, and resistance, known as Ohm&#8217;s law. The current that flows ...

Non-ohmic Devices

In most substances, the current flow is proportional to the voltage applied to it. A simple relationship between the values of current, voltage, and ...

Construct an explanation to compare simple series and parallel circuits in terms of Ohm's Law.

PS.PSc.6.2

Continuity Equation

The total amount of current flowing per unit cross-sectional area is called the current density. Hence, the current passing through a cross-sectional area ...

Boundary Conditions for Current Density

Current density becomes discontinuous across an interface of materials with different electrical conductivities. The normal component of the current ...

Electrical Conductivity

In perfect conductors, the electric field inside is always zero due to the abundance of free electrons, which nullify any field by flowing. As a result, ...

Theory of Metallic Conduction

The conduction of free electrons inside a conductor is best described by quantum mechanics. However, a classical model makes predictions close to the ...

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain how current is affected by changes in composition, length, temperature, and diameter of wire.

PS.PSc.6.3

Magnetism

Magnets are commonly found in everyday objects, such as toys, hangers, elevators, doorbells, and computer devices. Experimentation on these magnets shows ...

Magnetic Fields

A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the surrounding space, in addition to its electric field. The magnetic field exerts a force on ...

Magnetic Field Lines

The representation of magnetic fields by magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. Each of the ...

Magnetic Flux

The magnetic flux measures the number of magnetic field lines passing through a given surface area. The SI unit for magnetic flux is the weber (Wb). ...

Motion Of A Charged Particle In A Magnetic Field

A charged particle experiences a force when moving through a magnetic field. Consider the field to be uniform and the charged particle to move ...

Magnetic Force

In addition to the electric forces between electric charges, moving electric charges exert magnetic forces on each other. A magnetic field is created by a ...

Magnetic Force On A Current-Carrying Conductor

Moving charges experience a force in a magnetic field. Since the magnetic fields produced by moving charges are proportional to the current, a conductor ...

Magnetic Force On Current-Carrying Wires: Example

In a magnetic field, moving charges encounter a force. If a wire contains these moving charges, i.e., if the wire is carrying a current, then a force acts ...

Force On A Current Loop In A Magnetic Field

Magnetic forces on wires carrying current are most frequently applied in motors. A DC motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical ...

Torque On A Current Loop In A Magnetic Field

The most common application of magnetic force on current-carrying wires is in electric motors. These consist of loops of wire, which are placed between ...

Magnetic Field due to Moving Charges

A stationary charge creates and interacts with the electric field, while a moving charge creates a magnetic field.
Consider a point charge moving with a ...

Biot-Savart Law

The Biot-Savart law gives the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field produced by a current. This empirical law was named in honor of two ...

Biot-Savart Law: Problem-Solving

The magnitude and direction of a magnetic field created by a steady current can be calculated using the Biot-Savart law.
Consider a mobile phone battery ...

Magnetic Field Due to Two Straight Wires

Consider two parallel straight wires carrying a current of 10 A and 20 A in the same direction and separated by a distance of 20 cm. Calculate the ...

magnetic-force-between-two-parallel-currents

Magnetic Force Between Two Parallel Currents

Two long, straight, and parallel current-carrying conductors exert a force of equal magnitude on one another. The direction of the force depends on the ...

Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop

Consider a circular loop with a radius a, that carries a current I. The magnetic field due to the current at an arbitrary point P along the axis of the ...

Divergence and Curl of Magnetic Field

The magnetic field due to a volume current distribution given by the Biot&#8211;Savart Law can be expressed as follows:

To evaluate the divergence of the ...

Ampere's Law

A fundamental property of a static magnetic field is that it is not conservative, unlike an electrostatic field. Instead, there is a relationship between ...

Ampere's Law: Problem-Solving

Ampere&#x27;s law states that for any closed looped path, the line integral of the magnetic field along the path equals the vacuum permeability times the ...

Solenoids

A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field for a solenoid is the ...

Magnetic Field of a Solenoid

A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field due to a solenoid is ...

Toroids

A toroid is a closely wound donut-shaped coil constructed using a single&#xA0; conducting wire. In general, it is assumed that a toriod consists of ...

Use models to explain magnetism in terms of domains, interactions of poles, and magnetic fields.

Induction

An emf is induced when the magnetic field in a coil is changed by pushing a bar magnet into or out of the coil. emfs of opposite signs are produced by ...

Faraday's Law

Faraday&#39;s law state that the induced emf is the negative change in the magnetic flux per unit of time. Any change in the magnetic field or change in ...

Lenz's Law

The direction in which the induced emf drives the current around a wire loop can be found through the negative sign. However, it is usually easier to ...

Motional Emf

Magnetic flux depends on three factors: the strength of the magnetic field, the area through which the field lines pass, and the field&#39;s orientation ...

Faraday Disk Dynamo

A Faraday disk dynamo is a DC generator, producing an emf that is constant in time. It consists of a conducting disk that rotates with a constant angular ...

Induced Electric Fields

The fact that emfs are induced in circuits implies that work is being done on the conduction electrons in the wires. What can possibly be the source of ...

Induced Electric Fields: Applications

An important distinction exists between the electric field induced by a changing magnetic field and the electrostatic field produced by a fixed charge ...

Eddy Currents

Since eddy currents occur only in conductors, magnets can separate metals from other materials. For example, in a recycling center, trash is dumped in ...

Displacement Current

Amp&#xE8;re&#x27;s law, in its usual form, does not work in places where the current changes with time and is not steady. Thus, Maxwell suggested ...

Significance of Displacement Current

A displacement current is analogous to a real current in Amp&#xE8;re&#x27;s law, participating in Amp&#xE8;re&#x27;s law the same way as the usual ...

Electromagnetic Fields

Electric fields generated by static charges, often referred to as electrostatic fields, are characteristically different from electric fields created by ...

Maxwell's Equation Of Electromagnetism

James Clerk Maxwell (1831&#x2013;1879) was one of the major contributors to physics in the nineteenth century. Although he died young, he made major ...

Symmetry in Maxwell's Equations

Once the fields have been calculated using Maxwell&#x27;s four equations, the Lorentz force equation gives the force that the fields exert on a charged ...

Ampere-Maxwell's Law: Problem-Solving

A parallel-plate capacitor with capacitance C, whose plates have area A and separation distance d, is connected to a resistor R and a battery of voltage ...

Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the application of electromagnets.

PS.PSc.6.5

Analyze motion in terms of speed, velocity, acceleration, and momentum.

Hall Voltage and Charge Carriers

Description

Transcript

Tags

More videos by Standards