Scribd
Upload
59 views

Basic Electron Theory

Uploaded by

Syed Inam Ullah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
59 views

Basic Electron Theory

Uploaded by

Syed Inam Ullah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

Basic Electron Theory

Basic Electron Theory


2

This presentation will


• Review the basic structure of the atom.
• Define conductor, insulator, and semiconductor.
Structure of an Atom
3
Example – Carbon Atom
Nucleus
• 6 Protons
- -
• 6 Neutrons

Electrons

+ +
++
- + + -

Orbits

- -

The distribution of electrons in the orbital rings around an


atom’s nucleus determines the element’s electrical properties.
Conductor / Insulator / Semiconductor
4

 The stability of the electrons in the outer ring determines


whether a material made from this element is a conductor,
insulator, or semiconductor.
 Elements whose electrons are unstable and can easily move
from one atom to another make good conductors.
 Elements whose electrons are stable and can not easily move
from one atom to another make good insulators.
 Any elements that are not considered conductors or insulators
are categorized as semiconductors.
Conductors
5
 When an element’s outer electron ring is incomplete or not full,
its electrons can move more freely from one atom to another
atom.
 Elements whose electrons can move more freely make good
conductors.
 In general, most metals make good conductors because they only
have one or two electrons in their outer band.
 Silver and gold are the best conductors. Copper is the second
best conductor. Most wiring uses copper wire because it is a
good conductor and is less expensive than the other metals.
Conductors: Example Ag & Cu
6
Silver Copper
(Ag) (Cu)
Because the outer-most
band is incomplete, the
single electron is unstable
and loosely bonded to the
atom. Hence, it can easily
2 8 18 18 1 move to the outer band of 1 18 8 2
another adjacent atom.

This free flow of electrons


is what makes silver and
copper good conductors.

Number of
Nucleus Electrons in Orbit
Insulator
7
 When an element’s outer ring is complete, or full, its electrons
can not easily move from one atom to another atom.
 Elements whose electrons can not move freely make good
insulators.
 Examples of good insulators are glass, plastic, rubber, paper,
or air. Most wiring uses plastic as an insulator.
 Plastics are polymers or long chains of atoms bonded to one
another. Viewing the atomic structure of plastics is far beyond
the scope of this class.
 Neon and argon, both gases, are good insulators and are often
used in light bulbs.
Insulator: Example Ne & Ar
8

Neon Argon
(Ne) (Ar)
The outer-most orbits of neon and
argon can each contain a maximum
of eight (8) electrons. This is exactly
how many they have. This makes
2 8
the electron in the outer-most 8 8 2
bands stable.

This stable electron structure is


what makes neon and argon good
insulators.
Semiconductor
9
 When an element’s outer ring is neither complete nor
incomplete, the element is considered to be a
semiconductor.
 Examples of good semiconductor materials are
 Carbon (used to make resistors)
 Silicon (used to make transistors)
Semiconductors: Example C & Si
10

Carbon Silicon
(C) (Si)
The outer-most orbits of carbon and
silicon can each contain a
maximum of eight (8) electrons.
Because they both contain four (4),
2 4
these electrons are neither stable 4 8 2
nor unstable.

This electron structure is what


makes carbon and silicon good
semiconductors.

You might also like