Question Detail
Question
In intrinsic semiconductors at room temperature, the number of electrons and holes are _________.
Correct Answer
Option B is the correct answer.
Detailed Explanation
An intrinsic semiconductor is a pure semiconductor material. At room temperature, some covalent bonds are broken due to thermal energy, creating electron-hole pairs. For every electron excited into the conduction band, a hole is left behind in the valence band. Therefore, the number of free electrons is equal to the number of holes.
Hint
Consider the mechanism of charge carrier generation in a pure semiconductor.