Conductors and Insulators?

Question

How do conductors differ from insulators?

Answer 1

Conductors generally have "free" electrons to move and carry the current. Insulators have electrons lock in chemical bonds so they are not free to move around.

Answer 2

Conductors allow current (i.e. electrons to flow through them) while insulators do not. Conductors have free electrons which are able to move about the material, while insulator's electrons are all bound to the atoms which make up the material. This is easily researchable on line and you obviously have a computor, so go to wikipedia and find out the rest on your own.

Answer 3

Most conductors have what's called an electron sea. This is where the electrons are allowed to freely move from the orbital of one atom to the next. This happens become because of Fermi levels and some of stuff you should read on (solid state physics is fun). Charged ions can also act as conductors as they do in water.

Insulators, however, require a large ionization energy before the electron can be freed and even then it is lost not conducted to the next atom/molecule. It's all about energy levels.

Answer 4

The electrons in conductors are more loosely held by the atoms than in insulators. In conductors electrons are free to move and transmit electricty, while in insulators, the atoms hold the electrons tightly and do not conduct well.

Answer 5

In a conductor, electric current can flow freely, in an insulator it cannot. Metals such as copper typify conductors, while most non-metallic solids are said to be good insulators, having extremely high resistance to the flow of charge through them.

Answer 6

A material that conducts heat well and quickly, i.e. has a relatively high thermal conductivity. Most metals are good thermal conductors but the best thermal conductors of all are diamond and carbon nanotubes. The reason for this is that both diamond and carbon nanotubes contains strong molecular bonds in very regular order making it easy for molecular vibrations to travel quickly and efficiently through the materials. A material that does not conduct heat well, i.e. has a relatively low thermal conductivity. Plastics, wood, cork, and some fabrics are good thermal insulators. The reason is that they contain weak molecular bonds in disorderly arrangements. Heat is transfered in a material by the vibration of the atoms and molecules. A disorderly arrangement of particles and bonds slows down the passage of heat through the material.

Answer 7

Conductors attracts... insulators, retracts.

Answer 8

the difference between conductors & insulators r there Band Structure

i will try to draw diagrams for the outer electrons & inner electrons for the conductors & insulator, i hope i can draw them right


outer |____________________|
electrons |/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|

inner |/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|
electrons |/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|

The above diagram is for CONDUCTOR, u can see here that the inner electrons is totally filled (saturated), but the outer electrons is half filled so it can GAIN more electrons from any another matter (conducting)


outer |/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|
electrons /_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|


inner |/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|
electrons |/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/|

This above diagram is for INSULATOR, here u can see that both outer & inner electron r totally filled with electrons (saturated) so thier is no place for more electron (can't lose, gain or even share electrons), this is called INSULATING

i tried my best to draw them right but i hope u can imagine the right diagram from my drawing

i hope u got ur point from my explanation