What are Conductors?
Conductors are defined as the materials or substances that allow electricity to flow through them. Also, conductors allow heat to be transmitted through them. Examples of conductors are metals, the human body, Earth and animals. The human body is a strong conductor. It, therefore, offers a resistance-free route from a current-carrying wire through the body for the current to flow. Conductors have free electrons on their surface that allow the easy passage of current. This is the reason that electricity transmits freely through the conductors.
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Applications of Conductors
In certain aspects, conductors are very useful. They have many real-life applications. For example;
To check the temperature of a body, mercury is a common material in the thermometer.
Aluminium finds use in the manufacture of foils for food preservation. It is also used in cooking vessels as it is a good conductor of electricity and heat.
Iron is a common material used to conduct heat in vehicle engine manufacturing. The iron plate is composed of steel to briskly absorb heat.
In the car radiators, conductors find their use in the eradication of heat away from the engine.
Insulators
The materials or substances that resist or don't allow the current to pass through them are insulators. They are, in general, solid in nature. Often, in a number of systems, insulators are used as they do not allow heat to flow. The resistivity is the property that makes insulators different from conductors.
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Some good examples of insulators are wood, fabric, glass, mica, and quartz. Insulators provide protection against fire, sound, and, of course, electricity transmission. In addition, insulators have no free electrons at all. This is the predominant explanation of why they don't conduct electricity.
Examples of Insulators
Some of the examples of insulators are listed below.
Glass is the strongest insulator as it has the highest resistivity.
Plastic is a good insulator and is used to manufacture a variety of products.
A common material used in the manufacture of tyres, fire-resistant clothing, and slippers is rubber. This is because it is an insulator.
Difference between conductors and insulators
Let us look at the basic difference between conductors and insulators in a nutshell.
What is an Electrical Conductor?
If you have to give the simplest definition of electrical conductors, they are materials that allow electricity to flow easily through them. If we compare two kinds of materials and the first one allows electricity to pass through them more readily, then that material is said to be a strong conductor of electricity. Some examples of conductors of electricity are:
Copper
Aluminium
Silver
Gold
Graphite
Platinum
Water
People
An electric conductor enables electrical charges to pass through them easily. The property of conductors is called conductivity to "conduct" electricity. Such materials offer less opposition to the movement of charges, or "resistance." Due to the free movement of electrons through them, conducting materials allow easy charge transfer.
Properties of Electrical Conductor
In equilibrium conditions, a conductor exhibits the following properties:
The movement of electrons and ions in them is permitted by a conductor.
A conductor's electrical field is zero, allowing electrons to pass inside it.
A conductor's charge density is zero.
Free charges occur only on the surface of the conductor.
Both of a conductor's ends are at the same potential.
Many metals are strong conductors of electricity. Insulators are known as a plastic coating that covers an electrical conductor. This prevents us from an electric shock.
Conclusion
Hence conductors are important objects which offer a variety of applications. A conductor is essential because of its property of flowing electricity and heat. Materials made of conductors and insulators have different kinds of uses.
FAQs on Conductor
1. What is an electrical conductor in science?
An electrical conductor is a material or substance that allows electric charge, typically in the form of electrons, to flow through it with minimal resistance. This property, known as high conductivity, is due to the presence of movable charges. In most solids like metals, these charges are free electrons.
2. What is the primary difference between conductors and insulators?
The primary difference lies in their atomic structure and ability to conduct electricity. Conductors possess free-moving electrons that allow electric current to pass through them easily, resulting in low electrical resistivity. In contrast, insulators have tightly bound electrons that cannot move freely, which prevents the flow of current and gives them very high electrical resistivity.
3. Why are metals such good conductors of both heat and electricity?
Metals are excellent conductors because of their atomic structure, which features a 'sea' of delocalised electrons not bound to any single atom. These free electrons are highly mobile and can efficiently transfer energy. They carry electric charge when a voltage is applied, creating an electric current, and they transfer kinetic energy (heat) quickly from hotter to colder parts of the metal.
4. What are some common examples of electrical conductors and insulators?
Here are some common examples found in everyday life and industry:
- Conductors: Silver (the best), copper, gold, aluminium, graphite, iron, and salt water.
- Insulators: Rubber, glass, plastic, wood, pure water, and air.
5. What are the key properties of a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium?
As per the CBSE 2025-26 syllabus for Chemistry, a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium exhibits the following properties:
- The electric field inside the main body of the conductor is zero.
- Any excess charge resides entirely on the surface of the conductor.
- The electric potential is constant throughout the entire volume of the conductor.
- The electric field at the surface is always perpendicular to the surface.
6. How can the conductivity of a substance like water be changed?
Pure water is a very poor conductor because it contains very few free ions. Its conductivity can be significantly increased by dissolving an ionic compound, such as common salt (NaCl), in it. The salt dissociates into positive (Na+) and negative (Cl-) ions. These mobile ions can carry an electric current through the solution, transforming the water into an electrolytic conductor.
7. Are all conductors metallic? Explain with an example.
No, not all conductors are metallic. While metals are the most common type, other materials also conduct electricity. A prime non-metallic example is graphite, a form of carbon that conducts due to its unique layered atomic structure and delocalised electrons. Furthermore, electrolytic solutions (like salt water) and plasmas (ionised gases) are also effective non-metallic conductors.
8. What are some real-world applications of conductors in daily life?
Conductors are essential in countless technologies and everyday items. For instance:
- Copper is used for electrical wiring in homes, appliances, and electronics due to its high conductivity and affordability.
- Aluminium is used in long-distance high-voltage power lines and for making lightweight cooking pots that conduct heat effectively.
- Iron is used in vehicle engines and radiators to conduct heat away from critical components.
