Loading...

Lesson: Chapter - 13

Conductors and Insulators

Idealized point charges and constant electric fields may be exciting, but, you may ask, what about the real world? Well, in some materials, such as copper, platinum, and most other metals, the electrons are only loosely bound to the nucleus and are quite free to flow, while in others, such as wood and rubber, the electrons are quite tightly bound to the nucleus and cannot flow. We call the first sort of materials conductors and the second insulators.

Video Lesson

The behavior of materials in between these extremes, called semiconductors, is more complicated. Such materials, like silicon and germanium, are the basis of all computer chips.

In a conductor, vast numbers of electrons can flow freely. If a number of electrons are transmitted to a conductor, they will quickly distribute themselves across the conductor so that the forces between them cancel each other out. As a result, the electric field within a conductor will be zero. For instance, in the case of a metal sphere, electrons will distribute themselves evenly so that there is a charge on the surface of the sphere, not within the sphere.

Next to display next topic in the chapter.

Practice Questions

Video Lessons and 10 Fully Explained Grand Tests

Large number of solved practice MCQ with explanations. Video Lessons and 10 Fully explained Grand/Full Tests.

More for You
All in this Category

You may be interested in

Colleges in Bahawalpur

Find colleges in your area in Bahaw ...

Colleges in Sialkot

A list of major colleges in the cit ...

Govt and Private Recruitment

List of Govt and private Jobs in Pa ...

Study in Turkey

How to get admission and Visa to st ...

ISSB - G.T.O. Tasks

Learn all about to deal ISSB - G.T. ...

ISSB - Group Discussion

How to perform well on ISSB - Group ...

HU: Hamdard University

HU: Hamdard University Bachelor in ...

Universities in Gilgit Baltistan

A list of universities in Gilgit Ba ...