The Hall voltage is the voltage difference that develops across a conductor when it carries an electric current in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the current. It is named after Edwin Hall, who first discovered the phenomenon in 1879.
### **How to Find Hall Voltage**
To calculate the Hall voltage (\(V_H\)), you can use the Hall effect equation, which relates the Hall voltage to several physical properties of the material and the experimental setup:
\[
V_H = \frac{B I t}{n q}
\]
Where:
- \(V_H\) is the Hall voltage (in volts, V),
- \(B\) is the magnetic field strength (in tesla, T),
- \(I\) is the current passing through the conductor (in amperes, A),
- \(t\) is the thickness of the conductor (in meters, m),
- \(n\) is the charge carrier density (in carriers per cubic meter, \(m^{-3}\)),
- \(q\) is the charge of the carriers (in coulombs, C, typically the charge of an electron, \(q = 1.6 \times 10^{-19} \, C\)).
### **Steps to Calculate Hall Voltage**
1. **Measure the Magnetic Field Strength (\(B\)):**
- The magnetic field \(B\) is typically measured using a magnetometer or a Hall probe. You need to know the magnitude of the magnetic field that is perpendicular to the current flow.
2. **Measure the Current (\(I\)):**
- The current passing through the conductor is a known value. You can measure the current using an ammeter.
3. **Find the Thickness of the Conductor (\(t\)):**
- Measure the thickness of the material through which the current flows. This is typically the distance between the two surfaces where the Hall voltage will be measured.
4. **Determine the Charge Carrier Density (\(n\)):**
- The charge carrier density depends on the material of the conductor. For metals, it can be calculated based on the material’s atomic density and the number of charge carriers per atom. For semiconductors, this value may be given or may need to be experimentally determined. The carrier density is usually expressed in units of \(m^{-3}\).
5. **Find the Charge of the Carrier (\(q\)):**
- The charge of the charge carrier is usually the elementary charge for electrons, which is \(q = 1.6 \times 10^{-19} \, C\). In some cases, such as for positive charge carriers (holes in semiconductors), this value remains the same but will be applied differently depending on the material.
6. **Apply the Hall Voltage Equation:**
- Once you have all the values, substitute them into the Hall voltage equation to find the Hall voltage (\(V_H\)).
### **Example Calculation**
Let’s say you have a conductor made of copper, and you know the following:
- Magnetic field strength, \(B = 0.5 \, T\),
- Current, \(I = 2 \, A\),
- Thickness of the conductor, \(t = 0.01 \, m\),
- Charge carrier density for copper, \(n = 8.5 \times 10^{28} \, m^{-3}\),
- The elementary charge, \(q = 1.6 \times 10^{-19} \, C\).
Now, substitute these values into the Hall voltage equation:
\[
V_H = \frac{(0.5) \times (2) \times (0.01)}{(8.5 \times 10^{28}) \times (1.6 \times 10^{-19})}
\]
\[
V_H = \frac{0.01}{1.36 \times 10^{10}} \approx 7.35 \times 10^{-13} \, \text{V}
\]
So, the Hall voltage in this case would be approximately \(7.35 \times 10^{-13} \, V\).
### **Key Considerations**
- **Polarity of Hall Voltage**: The Hall voltage will have a positive or negative polarity depending on the type of charge carriers (electrons or holes) in the material. If the charge carriers are negative (electrons), the Hall voltage will appear on one side, and if they are positive (holes), the polarity will be reversed.
- **Material Dependence**: The Hall voltage is very sensitive to the material properties, especially the charge carrier density and type of charge carriers. Conductors and semiconductors will have different Hall voltage values for the same current and magnetic field.
By measuring the Hall voltage, you can also determine important properties of the material, such as the type of charge carriers (whether electrons or holes) and their density, which is useful in characterizing materials.