Seebeck effect

[ see-bek; German zey-bek ]

noun

, Physics.

1. thermoelectric effect.

Seebeck effect

/ ˈzeːbɛk; ˈsiːbɛk /

noun

1. the phenomenon in which a current is produced in a circuit containing two or more different metals when the junctions between the metals are maintained at different temperatures Also calledthermoelectric effect Compare Peltier effect

Seebeck effect

/ zā′bĕk /

1. The creation of an electrical potential across points in a metal that are at different temperatures. The effect is caused by the thermal energy of the valence electrons in the warmer part of the metal; the kinetic energy of these electrons, which are very free in metals, allows them to migrate toward the colder part more readily than the colder electrons migrate to the warmer part. The colder part of the metal is therefore more negatively charged than the warmer part, resulting in electric potential. The Seebeck effect is used in thermocouples . It was discovered by the German physicist Thomas Seebeck (1770–1831).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Seebeck effect¹

Named after Thomas J. Seebeck (1770–1831), German physicist

Word History and Origins

Origin of Seebeck effect¹

C19: named after Thomas Seebeck (1770–1831), German physicist

Example Sentences

The physical origin for the enhanced Seebeck effect is rooted in the energy-dependent scattering behavior of the electrons -- an effect fundamentally different from semiconducting thermoelectrics.

From Science Daily

It is well established that an electric current can arise from a temperature difference in the absence of an applied voltage — a phenomenon called the Seebeck effect.

From Nature

Transverse spin Seebeck effect versus anomalous and planar Nernst effects in permalloy thin films.

From Nature

To exhibit a strong Seebeck effect, a material must conduct electricity well while conducting heat badly.

From Economist

The Seebeck effect, first seen in 1821 by a German physicist of that name, is a property of some materials whereby heating part of an object made of that material drives electrons from the hot part to the cold part, creating a current.

From Economist