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Boltzmann's Constant
Last Updated: April 25, 2013
Definition - What does Boltzmann's Constant mean?
Boltzmann’s Constant is a mathematical notation and physical constant that is used to calculate the thermal voltage in a semiconductor.
Boltzmann’s Constant was conceived by Ludwig Boltzmann, an Austrian physicist. It is denoted by kor kb. Its value is 1.3807 x 10 joules per (J · K ).
Techopedia explains Boltzmann's Constant
Boltzmann’s Constant helps identify the temperature and relative kinetic energy for each gas molecule. It helps clarify the relationship between an electric current and electric potential, which result in thermal voltage observed on semiconductors p-n junction.
The thermal voltage relates to a semiconductor's overall temperature based on the following: If the temperature increases, so will the kinetic energy or produced thermal voltage produced by the increase in temperature.
