Semiconductor or conductor

**mabs239** · Jan31-09, 01:06 AM

You are given a piece of metal of one square cm area and 10cm long. You do not know whether it is a conductor or a semiconductor. Devise some experimental setup to know the nature of the material.

**jimmysnyder** · Jan31-09, 05:07 AM

Is it George Metal, conductor of the Northern South Jersey Philharmonic Pick-up Band?

**mabs239** · Jan31-09, 12:00 PM

Jimmy thanks for answer,

But what is the experimental setup? I am sorry for not picking up your joke. I think its a joke.

I am not sure if a semiconductor could be called a metal. The word "metal" in first statement can be replaced by "wire".

**Dadface** · Jan31-09, 05:30 PM

Semiconductors are sometimes referred to as semimetals.One test you can try is to see how the resistance changes with temperature.with conductors the resistance increases with temperature with semiconductors(depending on its purity)the resistance decreases with temperature.

**mabs239** · Feb1-09, 08:59 AM

Hello Dadface,

Your's is the answer I was looking for.

Very Good