In the Hall effect, applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the current in a conductor produces what measurable quantity?

In the Hall effect, applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the current in a conductor produces what measurable quantity?

• A. A longitudinal voltage along the current direction
• B. A change in the resistance of the material
• C. An induced current orthogonal to the original
• D. A transverse Hall voltage across the conductor

Answer: (D)

The Hall effect shows how a magnetic field perpendicular to a current causes moving charges to experience a sideways (Lorentz) force. This pushes charges to one side of the conductor, creating a charge buildup and an electric field across the width. At steady state, this Hall field produces a transverse potential difference—the Hall voltage—across the conductor, perpendicular to both the current and the magnetic field. It’s not a voltage along the current path, it doesn’t indicate a change in resistance in the usual sense, and it doesn’t require a current moving perpendicular to the original current. The key measurable quantity is the Hall voltage across the width.

The Hall effect shows how a magnetic field perpendicular to a current causes moving charges to experience a sideways (Lorentz) force. This pushes charges to one side of the conductor, creating a charge buildup and an electric field across the width. At steady state, this Hall field produces a transverse potential difference—the Hall voltage—across the conductor, perpendicular to both the current and the magnetic field. It’s not a voltage along the current path, it doesn’t indicate a change in resistance in the usual sense, and it doesn’t require a current moving perpendicular to the original current. The key measurable quantity is the Hall voltage across the width.