Which term refers to a smart material that can generate an electric current when heated?

Which term refers to a smart material that can generate an electric current when heated?

• A. Third generation robots
• B. Thermal conductivity
• C. Thermo-electricity
• D. Toughness

Answer: (C)

Generating electricity from heat is described by thermoelectricity, the thermoelectric effect. When there’s a temperature difference across a material, charge carriers move and create a voltage, which can drive an electric current. This is the defining property of thermoelectric materials, used in devices that convert waste heat into power and in solid-state cooling systems via related effects. The other terms don’t capture this behavior: third generation robots are a robotics category, thermal conductivity is about how well heat flows through a material, and toughness refers to a material’s resistance to fracture.

Generating electricity from heat is described by thermoelectricity, the thermoelectric effect. When there’s a temperature difference across a material, charge carriers move and create a voltage, which can drive an electric current. This is the defining property of thermoelectric materials, used in devices that convert waste heat into power and in solid-state cooling systems via related effects. The other terms don’t capture this behavior: third generation robots are a robotics category, thermal conductivity is about how well heat flows through a material, and toughness refers to a material’s resistance to fracture.