Hall Effect in thin conductor

    ➤ Current consists of the movement of many small charge carriers, typically electrons.

    ➤ The charge flow follow approximately straight paths in the conductors when no magnetic field is present.

    ➤ However, when a magnetic field is applied perpendicularly, these charges experience a force, called the Lorentz force.

    ➤ This force, is perpendicular to both the straight path of the electrons in the conductors and the applied magnetic field.

    ➤ The curved paths taken by the electrons in magnetic field, results in

• The accumulation of moving charges on one face of the material.
• An asymmetric distribution of charge density across the thin conductor.
• The accumulations continues till a steady electric potential is established

• The separation of charge establishes an electric field that opposes further migration of the charge carriers (here electrons).


• A steady electric potential is established as long as the charge flows in the conductor in the presence of magnetic field.


• The Hall effect is the production of a voltage difference (the Hall voltage) across an electrical conductor that is transverse to an electric current in the conductor and to an applied magnetic field perpendicular to the current.


• The Hall effect is due to the nature of the current in a conductor and depends on the carrier density.

Hall effect in semiconductors

When a current-carrying semiconductor is kept in a magnetic field, the charge carriers of the semiconductor experience a force in a direction perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the current. At equilibrium, a voltage appears at the semiconductor edges.

The Hall effect allows us to find out whether the charge carriers in the semiconductor are positively or negatively charged (electrons or holes). Beyond that, we can measure the number of such carriers per unit volume of the given semiconductor.

Hall Sensor

A Hall effect sensor (or simply Hall sensor) is a type of sensor which detects the presence and magnitude of a magnetic field using the Hall effect. The output voltage of a Hall sensor is directly proportional to the strength of the field.

Hall sensors are used for proximity sensing, positioning, speed detection, and current sensing applications

Hall Probes are often used as magnetometers,to measure magnetic fields using the principles of magnetic flux.

Hall effect devices (when appropriately packaged) are immune to dust, dirt, mud, and water.