Electron hole facts for kids

An electron hole (often simply called a hole) is the absence or lack of an electron where an electron would normally be in an atom. Because electrons are negative and their charges are balanced by the positive protons, electron holes are positive in charge. Electron holes are not particles, they are classified as quasiparticles. Electron holes are different to positrons, which are the antiparticle to the electron. When electrons change energy levels, they leave an electron hole in their place.

Related pages

• Electron
• Atom
• Exciton
• Energy level

Images for kids

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  A children's puzzle which illustrates the mobility of holes in an atomic lattice. The tiles are analogous to electrons, while the missing tile (lower right corner) is analogous to a hole. Just as the position of the missing tile can be moved to different locations by moving the tiles, a hole in a crystal lattice can move to different positions in the lattice by the motion of the surrounding electrons.

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  A semiconductor electronic band structure (right) includes the dispersion relation of each band, i.e. the energy of an electron E as a function of the electron's wavevector k. The "unfilled band" is the semiconductor's conduction band; it curves upward indicating positive effective mass. The "filled band" is the semiconductor's valence band; it curves downward indicating negative effective mass.

See also

In Spanish: Hueco de electrón para niños