$E_g$ (energy band-gap) for silicon is greater than that for germanium. Therefore, it can be concluded that
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
Correct answer: less number of electron-hole pairs will be generated in silicon than in germanium at room temperature
Explanation:
The number of thermally generated electron-hole pairs in a semiconductor depends exponentially on the energy band-gap (Eg).
Since silicon has a larger band-gap (≈ 1.1 eV) compared to germanium (≈ 0.7 eV), it requires more energy to excite an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Hence, at room temperature, fewer electron-hole pairs are generated in silicon than in germanium.