Hall Effect Experiment

Mudassar Riaz
March 2025

1 Title
To find carrier concentration of sample (conductor/semiconductor)
by using Hall effect.

1.1 Objective
The objective of this experiment is to find the value of carrier concentration by
knowing the Hall voltage and current that we have supplied to apparatus and
then from value of n to decide that what type of material is it .

2 Apparatus Required
• Electromagnet .

• Constant current power supply.

• Digital Gauss meter.
• Hall effect setup.
• Stand for placement of sample.

• One sample.

3 Theory
The Hall effect is production of voltageVh across the current carrying conductor
or semiconductor when they are put inside the magnetic [Link] the cur-
rent is applied to the conductor then electronic current will move opposite to
conventional current .The setup for this experiment is shown as

1
 Figure 1: current carrying conductor

• As it is clearly showed that the electron moves without any disturbance

and the volt meter is attached to the ends of conductor and it show no
deflection so it means that there is no voltage across the conductor and
this voltage is called Hall voltage.
• Now put this current carrying conductor in magnetic field that is shown
in below diagram

Figure 2: Current carrying conductor in Magnetic field

• As we know that the moving charge will have B ⃗ − F iled .The B

⃗ − F iled of
moving charge will interact with the B⃗ − F iled of magnetic so as a result
there will be net force on electron. The diagram for this shown below

⃗ − F iled
Figure 3: Force on current carrying conductor in B

• In figure it is clear that electro get attracted toward one side by Lorentz
force and the direction of this force is find out by Fleming left hand [Link]
figure it is clear that this force will act toward right side of the metallic
[Link] the e− move toward right side and on the right side of plate there
is +ive charge , so between the two side of conductor that are not attached

2
 to the battery will have ∆V and this ∆V is called Hall voltageVh .In this
case volt meter also shows deflection

hall fianil .jpg

Figure 4: Hall voltage setup

• The Lorentz force is given as

FL = Fe + Fm
⃗
⃗ + q(⃗v × B)
FL = q E
The Lorentz force is given as by above formula.

3.1 Speed of Electron

⃗ − F ield and E
The speed of e− is crucial to decide that what is B ⃗ − F iled .Now
⃗ − F ield and E
suppose a ⃗v of electron at which (B ⃗ − F iled are both equal i.e
⃗ − F iled = B
E ⃗ − F iled
As these field are equal so there forces are also equal so
Fe = Fm
⃗
⃗ = q(⃗v × B)
qE
q will cut on both sides and then have
E = vBsin(θ)
Here θ = 90 so sin value will be 1 and we will get
E = vB
E
v=
B
This is the formula for speed of electron at which both fields are [Link]
another words it is velocity selector.

3
3.2 Further Derivation
• Now in the above last diagram there will generate a Hall electric field EH ,
here just think that conductor is 3D slab having width w and thickness t
as shown below in figure.

Hall effect for slab in [Link]

Figure 5: For slab

• In this figure the VH produced is given as

VH
EH = (1)
w
where w is width of the slab.
• Now in this case the Fm is given as

Fm = qVd B (2)

and Fe is
Fe = qEH

• We take a special case at which Fe = Fm so

qEH = qVd B

here q on both side will cancel and we get

EH = Vd B (3)

Here the termVd is drift velocity and it is given as

J
Vd =
ne

4
 Put back the value of Vd into 3 , so the equation will
J
EH = (B)
ne
I
HereJ is called area current density that is given as J = A here the value
ofA = wt so the
I
J=
wt
Again put the value of J into above equation so we will get
I
EH = (B)
newt
VH
now from 1 put EH = w so the new equation will be

VH IB
=
w newt
where on both sides w will cancel
IB
VH =
net
where t is thickness of conductor and this is the formula for Hall voltage
of any thickness t conductor.
• The formula for concentration of charge carrier is find out by just rear-
ranging the above equation .
IB
n=
VH et
where
e = charge of electron
t = thickness of conductor
I = current through conductor
B = amount of magneticf iled applied

4 Experimental Setup
This experimental setup for the Hall effect but i took this picture from a video
whose link is [Link]

5
 Figure 6: Experimental setup

Figure 7: Hall effect setup

5 Procedure
• The first step is to calibrate the Gauss meter.
• For calibration, increase current from the power supply so that B
⃗ − F iled
will increase inside the magnetic poles and then we will adjust the Gauss
meter at 2000G.
• It is necessary that when we set B
⃗ − f ield at 2000G then also keep current
supply constant.
• This experiment is done for both the +ive and −ive B
⃗ − F ield.

• First we will take +ive B

⃗ −F ield and then −ive B
⃗ −F ield and take values
for both fields.
• Initially set the Hall setup at zero and just connect the voltage leads in
setup and make sure that no current leads are connected.
• After this put Hall sample into its stand and then put that sample between
the electromagnet.
• The Hall sample must be keep in this manner between the electromagnet,
that is shown below

6
 Figure 8: Placement of Hall sample

• Now we will record values of voltage by applying current at both positive

and negative magnetic field.

6 Observations Table

Current I( mA) Average Hall voltage VH

0.5 3.575
0.7 4.131
1 7.3
1.4 10.25
1.8 13.15
2.0 14.75
2.2 16.1
2.5 18.3
2.7 19.775
3 22.05

Table 1: Hall effect Data

7 Plot of Data

Figure 9: Graph of Data

7
8 Calculation of Hall coefficient and carrier con-
centration
The formula for Hall Coefficient is given as
VH .t
RH =
I.B
• Where t = 0.5mm = 5 × 10−4 m.

• B = 2000G = 0.2T .
• we are given these two values but for other values we have to extract them
from graph .
• To find value of VH
I we have to find out the slope of graph.
•
∆Vh
Slope =
∆I
22.05 − 3.575
Slope = ≈ 7.39mV /mA
3 − 0.5
• For Hall coefficient
7.39 × 5 × 10−4
RH =
0.2
RH = 184.75 × 10−4 m3 /C

• For charge carrier(n)

1
n=
eRH
Now putting values and we will get the value of n that is
1
n=
1.6 × 10−19 × 184.75 × 10−4

n = 295.6 × 1023 carrier/m3

9 Result
From value of n we can easily decide that what type of material is it , so for
that i would like to insert a value table from google here to clear things.

8
Table 2: Hall Coefficient (RH ), Carrier Concentration (n), and Material Type
Material Type Hall Coefficient (RH ) Carrier Concentration (n) Example Materials
−11 −10 3 28 29 −3
Metals −10 to −10 m /C 10 to 10 m Cu, Au, Ag
n-type Semiconductors −10−5 to −10−3 m3 /C 1021 to 1025 m−3 Si (doped), GaAs
p-type Semiconductors +10−5 to +10−3 m3 /C 1021 to 1025 m−3 Si (doped), Ge
Intrinsic Semiconductors ±10−2 to ±100 m3 /C 1016 to 1019 m−3 Pure Si, Ge
Insulators ±101 to ±103 m3 /C < 1016 m−3 SiO2 , Diamond

Now by comparing our result with this standard table we can say that the
material on which we have worked was doped semiconductor.

10 Conclusion
• We can conclude that by knowing the value of n we can find out the nature
of material.
• By knowing the values of RH one can determine the purity and defect of
material.

11 References
• Python was used for data plotting.
• For theory i used class lecture as well as some online source .

• [Link]
• [Link]
• Observation values and procedure step is taken from this video lecture
and also all experimental setup etc [Link]
XG6xdsG5GfXEj7cn.
• [Link]