‭Estillero, Mejede Joy‬

‭CHM007A-EE31S2‬

‭1. What is the distinction between electronic and ionic conduction?‬

‭Answer:‬ ‭Materials‬ ‭can‬ ‭carry‬ ‭electricity‬ ‭via‬ ‭two‬ ‭distinct‬ ‭mechanisms:‬ ‭ionic‬ ‭conduction‬
‭and‬‭electronic‬‭conduction.‬‭Electrons‬‭are‬‭the‬‭charge‬‭carriers‬‭that‬‭go‬‭through‬‭the‬‭material‬
‭during‬ ‭electronic‬ ‭conduction,‬ ‭enabling‬ ‭the‬ ‭passage‬ ‭of‬ ‭electric‬ ‭current.‬ ‭Usually,‬ ‭metals‬
‭and‬‭other‬‭materials‬‭with‬‭a‬‭high‬‭density‬‭of‬‭free‬‭electrons‬‭exhibit‬‭this‬‭kind‬‭of‬‭conduction.‬
‭Ionic‬ ‭conduction,‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬‭other‬‭hand,‬‭is‬‭the‬‭flow‬‭of‬‭ions—atoms‬‭or‬‭molecules‬‭that‬‭have‬
‭either‬ ‭received‬ ‭or‬ ‭lost‬ ‭an‬ ‭electron—through‬ ‭a‬ ‭substance.‬‭In‬‭electrolytes,‬‭like‬‭solutions‬
‭or‬ ‭molten‬ ‭salts,‬ ‭where‬ ‭ions‬ ‭can‬ ‭freely‬ ‭travel‬ ‭and‬ ‭transfer‬ ‭electric‬ ‭charge,‬ ‭this‬ ‭kind‬ ‭of‬
‭conduction‬ ‭is‬ ‭frequently‬ ‭observed.‬ ‭While‬ ‭both‬ ‭mechanisms‬ ‭involve‬ ‭the‬ ‭movement‬ ‭of‬
‭charged‬ ‭particles,‬ ‭electronic‬ ‭conduction‬ ‭is‬ ‭typically‬‭faster‬‭and‬‭more‬‭efficient‬‭than‬‭ionic‬
‭conduction due to the higher mobility of electrons compared to ions.‬

‭2.‬ ‭How‬ ‭does‬ ‭the‬ ‭electron‬ ‭structure‬ ‭of‬ ‭an‬ ‭isolated‬ ‭atom‬ ‭differ‬ ‭from‬ ‭that‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭solid‬
‭material?‬

‭Answer:‬‭Compare‬‭the‬‭electron‬‭structure‬‭of‬‭an‬‭isolated‬‭atom‬‭with‬‭that‬‭of‬‭a‬‭solid‬‭material‬
‭using‬ ‭the‬ ‭step-by-step‬ ‭approach‬ ‭provided.‬ ‭The‬ ‭Aufbau‬ ‭Principle‬ ‭states‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬
‭electrons‬ ‭in‬ ‭an‬ ‭isolated‬ ‭atom‬‭are‬‭arranged‬‭in‬‭discrete‬‭energy‬‭levels,‬‭or‬‭atomic‬‭orbitals‬
‭(s,‬ ‭p,‬ ‭d,‬ ‭or‬ ‭f).‬ ‭On‬ ‭the‬ ‭other‬ ‭hand,‬ ‭the‬ ‭electron‬ ‭structure‬ ‭found‬ ‭in‬ ‭a‬ ‭solid‬ ‭substance‬ ‭is‬
‭made‬ ‭up‬ ‭of‬‭energy‬‭bands‬‭that‬‭are‬‭created‬‭when‬‭adjacent‬‭atoms'‬‭atomic‬‭orbitals‬‭meet.‬
‭In‬‭a‬‭solid‬‭material,‬‭the‬‭electron‬‭distribution‬‭is‬‭delocalized‬‭throughout‬‭and‬‭fills‬‭continuous‬
‭energy‬‭bands,‬‭unlike‬‭in‬‭an‬‭isolated‬‭atom‬‭where‬‭it‬‭is‬‭restricted‬‭to‬‭certain‬‭atomic‬‭orbitals.‬
‭This‬ ‭distinction‬ ‭has‬ ‭an‬ ‭impact‬‭on‬‭bonding‬‭and‬‭attributes:‬‭solid‬‭materials‬‭have‬‭different‬
‭forms‬ ‭of‬ ‭bonding‬ ‭(ionic,‬ ‭covalent,‬ ‭or‬ ‭metallic),‬ ‭which‬ ‭result‬ ‭in‬ ‭unique‬ ‭qualities‬ ‭like‬
‭electrical‬‭conductivity,‬‭magnetism,‬‭or‬‭hardness;‬‭isolated‬‭atoms‬‭have‬‭electrons‬‭confined‬
‭around the nucleus with no bonds.‬

‭3.‬ ‭In‬ ‭terms‬ ‭of‬ ‭electron‬ ‭energy‬ ‭band‬ ‭structure,‬ ‭discuss‬ ‭reasons‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭difference‬ ‭in‬
‭electrical conductivity between metals, semiconductors, and insulators.‬
‭Answer:‬‭The‬‭overlapping‬‭bands‬‭of‬‭metals‬‭facilitate‬‭simple‬‭electron‬‭movement‬‭and‬‭lead‬
‭to‬ ‭strong‬ ‭conductivity;‬ ‭the‬ ‭tiny‬ ‭band‬ ‭gap‬ ‭of‬ ‭semiconductors‬ ‭allows‬ ‭for‬ ‭moderate‬
‭conductivity‬‭when‬‭energy‬‭is‬‭applied;‬‭on‬‭the‬‭other‬‭hand,‬‭the‬‭huge‬‭band‬‭gap‬‭of‬‭insulators‬
‭leads to poor conductivity and minimum electron movement.‬

‭4. Is it possible for compound semiconductors to exhibit intrinsic behavior? Explain your‬
‭Answer.‬

‭Answer:‬ ‭Yes,‬ ‭in‬ ‭their‬ ‭pure‬ ‭state‬ ‭without‬ ‭any‬ ‭dopants‬ ‭or‬ ‭impurities,‬ ‭compound‬
‭semiconductors‬‭can‬‭display‬‭inherent‬‭behavior.‬‭However,‬‭faults‬‭and‬‭accidental‬‭impurities‬
‭during the synthesis process can make it difficult to achieve a flawless intrinsic state.‬

‭5.‬ ‭Define‬ ‭the‬ ‭following‬ ‭terms‬ ‭as‬ ‭they‬ ‭pertain‬ ‭to‬ ‭semiconducting‬ ‭materials:‬ ‭intrinsic,‬
‭extrinsic, compound, and elemental. Now provide an example of each.‬

‭Answer:‬ ‭An‬ ‭intrinsic‬ ‭semiconductor‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬ ‭pure‬ ‭substance,‬ ‭like‬ ‭pure‬ ‭silicon,‬ ‭that‬ ‭has‬
‭semiconducting‬ ‭properties‬ ‭but‬ ‭is‬ ‭free‬ ‭of‬‭doping‬‭or‬‭impurities.‬‭A‬‭material‬‭that‬‭has‬‭been‬
‭purposefully‬ ‭doped‬ ‭with‬ ‭impurities‬ ‭to‬ ‭change‬ ‭its‬ ‭electrical‬ ‭properties—such‬ ‭as‬ ‭silicon‬
‭doped‬ ‭with‬ ‭phosphorus‬ ‭or‬ ‭boron—is‬ ‭referred‬ ‭to‬ ‭as‬ ‭an‬ ‭extrinsic‬ ‭semiconductor.‬ ‭A‬
‭compound‬ ‭semiconductor,‬ ‭like‬ ‭gallium‬ ‭arsenide,‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬ ‭semiconductor‬ ‭material‬ ‭with‬
‭special‬‭features‬‭that‬‭is‬‭made‬‭up‬‭of‬‭two‬‭or‬‭more‬‭distinct‬‭elements‬‭together.‬‭One‬‭element‬
‭with‬ ‭semiconductor‬ ‭characteristics,‬ ‭such‬ ‭as‬ ‭germanium,‬ ‭makes‬ ‭up‬ ‭an‬ ‭elemental‬
‭semiconductor.‬

‭6. What are the two functions that a transistor may perform in an electronic circuit?‬

‭Answer:‬ ‭A‬ ‭transistor's‬ ‭two‬ ‭primary‬ ‭uses‬ ‭in‬ ‭an‬ ‭electrical‬ ‭circuit‬ ‭are‬ ‭switching‬ ‭and‬
‭amplification.‬ ‭The‬ ‭ability‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭transistor‬ ‭to‬ ‭transform‬ ‭a‬ ‭small‬ ‭input‬ ‭signal‬ ‭into‬ ‭a‬ ‭bigger‬
‭output‬‭signal‬‭is‬‭referred‬‭to‬‭as‬‭amplification.‬‭By‬‭controlling‬‭the‬‭current‬‭flow‬‭between‬‭two‬
‭terminals,‬‭a‬‭transistor‬‭can‬‭be‬‭used‬‭to‬‭switch‬‭an‬‭electronic‬‭component‬‭ON‬‭or‬‭OFF‬‭based‬
‭on the signal received.‬

‭7.‬ ‭In‬ ‭your‬ ‭own‬ ‭words,‬ ‭explain‬ ‭the‬ ‭mechanism‬ ‭by‬ ‭which‬ ‭charge-storing‬ ‭capacity‬ ‭is‬
‭increased by the insertion of a dielectric material within the plates of a capacitor.‬
‭Answer:‬‭By‬‭raising‬‭the‬‭material's‬‭permittivity‬‭(ε)‬‭and‬‭decreasing‬‭the‬‭polarization-induced‬
‭net‬‭electric‬‭field‬‭between‬‭the‬‭plates,‬‭a‬‭dielectric‬‭material‬‭inserted‬‭between‬‭the‬‭plates‬‭of‬
‭a‬ ‭capacitor‬ ‭can‬ ‭store‬ ‭more‬ ‭charge.‬ ‭As‬ ‭a‬ ‭result,‬ ‭capacitance‬ ‭increases‬ ‭and‬ ‭voltage‬
‭decreases.‬