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What are the charge carriers when an electric current (i) passes through a semiconductor; (ii) passes through an electrolyte? (i) electrons and (positive) holes (ii) ions - Leaving Cert Physics - Question g - 2008
Question g
What are the charge carriers when an electric current (i) passes through a semiconductor; (ii) passes through an electrolyte? (i) electrons and (positive) holes (ii... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:What are the charge carriers when an electric current (i) passes through a semiconductor; (ii) passes through an electrolyte? (i) electrons and (positive) holes (ii) ions - Leaving Cert Physics - Question g - 2008
Step 1
(i) passes through a semiconductor
Answer
When an electric current passes through a semiconductor, the charge carriers are electrons and (positive) holes. Electrons are the negatively charged carriers that flow towards the positive terminal. The positive holes represent the absence of electrons in the material and can be thought of as positively charged carriers that assist in conducting electricity by allowing electrons to move more freely.
Step 2
(ii) passes through an electrolyte
Answer
In an electrolyte, the charge carriers are ions. When an electric potential is applied across the electrolyte, cations (positively charged ions) move towards the cathode and anions (negatively charged ions) move towards the anode, facilitating the flow of electric current. This is a key characteristic of electrolytic conduction, which differs from conduction in solids.