Conductors

• A?conductor?is a material that allows?charge?(usually electrons) to flow through it easily
• Examples of conductors are:
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Aluminium
  • Steel

   

• Conductors tend to be?metals

Different materials have different properties of conductivity

• On the atomic scale, conductors are made up of positively charged metal ions with their outermost electrons?delocalised
  • This means the electrons are free to move

   

• Metals conduct electricity very well because:
  • Current is the rate of flow of electrons
  • So, the more easily electrons are able to flow, the?better?the conductor

   

The lattice structure of a conductor with positive metal ions and delocalised electrons

Insulators

• An?insulator?is a material that has?no free charges,?hence does?not?allow the flow of charge through them very easily
• Examples of insulators are:
  • Rubber
  • Plastic
  • Glass
  • Wood

   

• Some non-metals, such as wood, allow some charge to pass through them
• Although they are not very good at conducting, they do conduct a little in the form of?static?electricity
  • For example, two insulators can build up charge on their surfaces and if they touch this would allow that charge to be conducted away

   

• Overall,?metals?are very good?conductors?whilst?non-metals?tend to be good?insulators

Conductors and Insulators Summary Table

轉載自savemyexam