Energy gap

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-003922",
  "term": "Energy gap",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The range of forbidden energy levels that separates the valence band from the conduction band in a solid or polymer. Electrons cannot possess energies within this gap. The magnitude of the energy gap determines whether a material is an electrical conductor (zero or small gap), a semiconductor (moderate gap), or an insulator (large gap).",
  "synonyms": [
    "bandgap"
  ],
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "see_also": [
    "lattice"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2022, 94, 15. 'Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 30 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-0501)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/energy-gap/"
}