The Hall effect occurs when a conductor carrying a current is placed in a magnetic field perpendicular to the current. This causes charge carriers to be deflected to the sides of the conductor, creating a measurable voltage known as the Hall voltage. The Hall effect is used to determine properties like carrier density and type in materials. When a current-carrying semiconductor is in a perpendicular magnetic field, the Hall voltage is directly proportional to the current and magnetic field. Measuring this Hall voltage allows determining the Hall coefficient, which provides information about the dominant charge carriers in the material.