What does the photoconductive effect in crystalline solids produce a noticeable change in?

Get ready for the FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL) exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and detailed explanations. Prepare effectively for your licensing test!

Multiple Choice

What does the photoconductive effect in crystalline solids produce a noticeable change in?

Light-induced carrier creation is what drives photoconductivity. When photons have enough energy to promote electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, the solid gains more free charge carriers (electrons and holes). This increases the material’s ability to conduct electricity, so its resistance drops. Capacitance and inductance depend mainly on geometry and magnetic/dielectric properties, not on the number of light-generated carriers, and specific gravity is just a density measure unaffected by illumination. So the noticeable change under illumination is in the resistance.

Light-induced carrier creation is what drives photoconductivity. When photons have enough energy to promote electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, the solid gains more free charge carriers (electrons and holes). This increases the material’s ability to conduct electricity, so its resistance drops. Capacitance and inductance depend mainly on geometry and magnetic/dielectric properties, not on the number of light-generated carriers, and specific gravity is just a density measure unaffected by illumination. So the noticeable change under illumination is in the resistance.

More practice questions