Materials with a small energy gap between the valence band and the conduction band are called
A) conductors.
B) insulators.
C) metals.
D) semiconductors.
E) nonconductors.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Materials with a small energy gap between the valence band and the conduction band are semiconductors. Conductors have overlapping valence and conduction bands, metals have partially filled conduction bands, and insulators have large energy gaps between the valence and conduction bands. Nonconductors is not a commonly used term in the context of solid state physics.

Materials with a Small Energy Gap Between the Valence Band