Conductors

Conductors are the materials or substances which allow current to flow through them. Conductors also allow the transmission of heat through them. Metals, the human body, Earth and animals are examples of conductors. Human body is a good conductor. Therefore, it offers a resistance-free path for the flow of current from a current-carrying wire through the body. Conductors have free electrons on their surface which allow the passage of current. This is why electricity travels through conductors in a conscientious manner.

Applications of Conductors

There are many applications of conductors, some of which are given below.

1. To measure the temperature of a body, mercury is a common material in the thermometer.
2. Aluminium is used in the manufacture of foils for food preservation. It is also used in cooking vessels because it is a good conductor of electricity and heat.
3. Iron is a common material used to conduct heat in the manufacture of vehicle engines. The iron plate is made of steel to absorb heat quickly.
4. In car radiators, drivers use conductors to dissipate the heat of the engine.

Insulators

The materials or substances which provide resistance or don’t permit the current to pass through them are termed as insulators. In many systems, insulators are used because they do not permit the heat to flow. Resistivity is the property due to which insulators differ from conductors.

Examples of insulators are quartz, glass, wood etc.

Electrical Conductor

If you have to give the simplest definition of electrical conductors then we can say that they are materials which allow electricity to flow freely. When we compare two types of materials and the first allows electricity to pass more easily, then this material is said to be a strong conductor of electricity.

Some of the examples of electrical conductors are Copper, Aluminium, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Graphite, water etc.

An electrical conductor allows electrical charges to pass easily. The property of conductors is termed as conductivity which means to “conduct” electricity. Such types of materials offer less resistance to the movement of charges. Because of the free motion of electrons through them, conductive materials allow easy transfer of charge.

Properties of Electrical Conductor

There are many properties of electrical conductors, some of which are given here.

1. A conductor allows electrons and ions to move within them. 
2. The electric field inside a conductor is zero which allows electrons to pass through. 
3. The charge density inside a conductor is zero.
4. Free charges only appear on the surface of the conductor.
5. Both the ends of the conductors are at similar potential.

Types of Conductors

There are some types of conductors which are discussed below.

Metals

Most of the conducting materials which are used for practical applications are metals. Such as wire around our house possibly uses copper wires or their alloys as a conducting material. Electric plugs contain metal inside them, and the internal process of our electric irons also uses metal as their conducting material. It is due to metals having many free electrons and promoting movement. Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu) and Gold (Au) are the best metal conductors.

The more free electrons there are in a metal, the higher its conductivity. Silver has comparatively better electrical conductivity than copper and gold. Since silver is much more expensive than copper, copper finds its uses in all household electrical devices and circuits.

Aluminium is also one of the best conductors of electricity, with a slightly lower conductivity than copper. It is used in internal house wiring and is most commonly used in combination with copper.

Non – Metals

There are some nonmetals that are very good conductors of electricity. Such as carbon in the form of graphite is a very good electrical conductor. If you look at the structure of graphite, only three carbon atoms out of the four carbon atoms are used for bonding. This leaves one electron free to bond. However, most nonmetals are bad electrical conductors.

Ionic Conductors

When the conductors are in solution form then they are called ionic conductors. Example saltwater is an ionic solution and also a good conductor of electricity.

Semi – conductors

Although semiconductors don’t conduct electricity like conductors, they still have uses. Germanium (Ge) and Silicon (Si) are examples of semiconductors.

Conclusion

Conductors are the materials or substances which allow current to flow through them. Conductors also allow the transmission of heat through them. Metals, the human body, Earth and animals are examples of conductors. Human body is a good conductor.

Aluminium is used in the manufacture of foils for food preservation. It is also used in cooking vessels because it is a good conductor of electricity and heat. 

The materials or substances which provide resistance or don’t permit the current to pass through them are termed as insulators.

The types of conductors are metals conductors, non – metals conductors, ionic conductors and semi – conductors.