Seebeck effect

American  

[see-bek, zey-bek] / ˈsi bɛk, ˈzeɪ bɛk /

noun

Physics.

1. thermoelectric effect.

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Seebeck effect British  

/ ˈzeːbɛk, ˈsiːbɛk /

noun

1. Also called: thermoelectric effect.  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 Compare Peltier effect

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Seebeck effect Scientific  

/ 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).

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Etymology

Origin of Seebeck effect

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

Example Sentences

This produced a flow of orbital angular momentum, which the team named the orbital Seebeck effect, drawing inspiration from the spin Seebeck effect that influences electron spin.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

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 • Sep. 18, 2023

It is usually a thin conductive material that exploits the temperature difference between its two sides to generate electricity, known as the Seebeck effect.

From Forbes • Jun. 8, 2010