Chapter 27

Charged Particles

27.3 Hall Effect

 The Hall Effect

Edwin Herbert Hall(1855-1938)

A small current flows through the conductor from one end to
the other. When a magnetic field is applied, the electrons are
pushed sideways by the magnetic force, so that they accumulate
along one side of the conductor. A potential difference known as
the Hall Voltage will develop across the conductor.
Electric field caused by Hall voltage
VH
E= d – width of the slice
d

An equilibrium is reached when the resultant

force on a moving electron is zero so that no
more charge accumulates
The Hall Voltage

eE = Bev
eVH
= Bev
d
 I = Anve
A:cross-sectional area of the conductor
n: number density of the electron
v: drift velocity of the electron
I
v=
nAe eVH BeI BId
= VH =
eVH d nAe nAe
= Bev
d BI
A = dt VH =
nte
 The Hall Voltage
BI
VH =
ntq
B: magnetic flux density, T
I : given current in the conductor, A
n: number density of the charge carriers, m-3
t: thickness of the conductor, m
q: charge on one charge carrier, C
 Applications of Hall Effect

• Measure the number density of charge carriers

• Measure magnetic flux density
• Magnetohydrodynamic power generation( )