Poor Conductors of Electricity

Why is it said not to plug a metal object like a fork into an electric socket? That is because you can get an electric shock, but how and why is that possible? Have you ever wondered why some materials can pass on an electric current to the next object while other materials can’t?

Materials that can easily conduct electricity or material that allow electricity to easily pass through them are known as conductors. Metal is an example of a good conductor. Since metal allows electricity to pass through it easily, when a metal object is plugged into an electric socket, the electricity passes through it, and the person holding the object receives an electrical shock. Wood is one of the poorest conductors of electricity. 

Conductors and Insulators 

Conductors vs Insulators 

Conductors allow electricity to easily pass through them. Substances known as insulators are materials that do not allow electricity to pass through them easily or at all. 

• Conductors - Metals, water, humans 

• Insulators - Rubber, wood, plastic

Conductors 

How does a conductor allow electricity to flow through it? In materials such as metals, which make one of the best conductors, there is an easy flow of ions and electrons once a voltage is applied. This easy flow of ions from atom to atom allows the metal to conduct electricity. 

Conductors have a very low resistance to electric current.

Insulators or Bad Conductors 

Atoms in materials such as rubber have tightly bound electrons, which prevent the flow of electricity. Insulators or Bad/Poor conductors, thus, are materials that do not allow free and easy flow of ions and electrons from atom to atom. Most non-metals make bad conductors as this easy flow of ions is not possible. Poor Conductors of electricity have a high resistance to electric current. 

Have you ever seen electric wires? These wires are made of metals such as copper, which are great conductors to allow an electric current to flow. But these copper wires are often covered with rubber which is a poor conductor of electricity to prevent anyone from getting an electric shock when they come in contact with the wire. 

Rubber Insulated Wires 

Why are Covalent Compounds Generally Poor Conductors of Electricity?

Covalent compounds are molecules that are made up of more than one atom pair sharing valence electrons. These compounds have covalent bonds. Examples of such compounds are Oxygen, Nitrogen, etc.

These covalent compounds are bad conductors of electricity as these molecules are made by atoms sharing electrons. Thus, there are no free electrons left to conduct electricity.   

Interesting Facts about Insulators 

• Covalent compounds are bad conductors of electricity. 

• High temperatures can make good conductors not conduct electricity well.

• Dielectrics are insulating materials, which when placed in an electric circuit, have a polarising effect (positive charges move toward the electric field and negative charges move in the opposite direction of the electric field).

• Substances that are bad conductors of heat are often bad conductors of electricity also.

Summary 

Insulators or bad conductors are materials that do not allow electricity to easily pass through them. Atoms in such material have tightly bound electrons, which prevent the flow of electric current. Examples of bad conductors include - Wood, Rubber, Glass, Sand, etc.