Edwin Hall

Edwin Hall was an American physicist who discovered the Hall effect in 1879. This phenomenon occurs when a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to an electric current flowing through a conductor or semiconductor, causing a voltage (called the Hall voltage) to develop across the material. This effect helps scientists understand properties of materials, such as charge carrier density and type (electrons or holes). The Hall effect is fundamental in physics and has practical applications, including magnetic field measurement and the design of electronic devices like sensors and transistors.