Semiconductors theory understanding nightmare1

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the relationship between atomic mass, density, and the calculation of electron density in semiconductors. Participants explore the implications of Avogadro's number and the units involved in these calculations, as well as specific formulas related to electron density.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions why dividing density by atomic mass results in moles per cubic centimeter.
  • Another participant provides a formula for calculating the number of electrons, emphasizing the importance of including units in equations.
  • A participant expresses gratitude for the clarification and indicates that this is just the beginning of their questions regarding multiple chapters.
  • There is a request for clarification on the variable N in the context of the N/V formula.
  • A later reply corrects the units for electron density and explains that N represents the number of electrons while V denotes volume.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains multiple questions and clarifications, with no consensus reached on the initial query regarding density and atomic mass. Participants share different perspectives and corrections without resolving the underlying uncertainties.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of units in calculations, indicating that misunderstandings may arise from their omission. The discussion also reflects a dependency on specific definitions and formulas that may not be universally agreed upon.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students studying semiconductor physics, particularly those grappling with the mathematical relationships between atomic properties and electron density.

nhrock3
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if we have a molecule or atom
then if we take avogadros number amount of this unit
then the amount will weight the atomic mass in grams.

[tex]\rho _m/A[/tex]

rho is the density
A is the atomic mass

why their dinviding gives us moles per cube cantimeter
??
 
Last edited:
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In general, looking carefully at the units tends to help me understand physics. (BTW, solid state physics was the hardest subject for me.)

Anyway, we have this:

[tex]n = 0.6022 \times 10^{24} \frac{Z \rho_m}{A}[/tex]

Physicists have a nasty habit of leaving out units when they write equations in textbooks. That didn't stop the physicists in my EE department from marking my grade down when I forgot to put units on my test answers. YOU'LL GET YOURS ONE DAY PHYSICISTS!

Let's add the units:

[tex]n (#electrons) = 0.6022 \times 10^{24} \frac{#atoms}{mole} \frac{Z \frac{#electrons}{atoms}\rho_m \frac{mass}{cm^3}}{A \frac{mass}{mole}}[/tex]

You can see how the units cancel now. Does that help?
 
thanks :)

this is only the first question among many
to understand 4 chapters
thanks again :)
 
what is N?
in the N/V formula
 
Man, I can do anything these days without making an error. The correct units were:

[tex]n \frac{electrons}{cm^3}= 0.6022 \times 10^{24} \frac{#atoms}{mole} \frac{Z \frac{#electrons}{atoms}\rho_m \frac{mass}{cm^3}}{A \frac{mass}{mole}}[/tex]

To answer your last question:

[tex]n = \frac{N(electrons)}{V(cm^3)}[/tex]

Capital N is just the number of electrons and V is the volume.
 
ok thanks :)
 

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