The Hall Effect involves the creation of a voltage potential at right angles to current flow when a material is subjected to magnetic fields. What is this voltage potential called?

• A. Voltage potential
• B. Magnetic field
• C. Magnetic flux
• D. Resistance

Answer: (A)

The Hall effect creates a potential difference across a conductor, perpendicular to the current flow when a magnetic field is applied. This transverse potential arises because moving charge carriers feel a Lorentz force that deflects them to one side, building up an electric field that resists further deflection.

Among the options, the one that best matches what the effect produces is the voltage potential—the potential difference that appears across the sides of the material. This is what we call the Hall voltage. The other terms refer to what causes the effect (magnetic field), a measure of the field (magnetic flux), or a property related to current flow (resistance), none of which are the generated transverse potential.

So the voltage potential describes the Hall effect’s outcome—the Hall voltage—while the magnetic field, magnetic flux, and resistance describe other aspects of the setup.