ELECTRICITY

• Conductors and insulators

• Key points
• Conductors are materials which allow electrical current to flow
through them easily. Metals are generally good electrical conductors.
• Insulators are materials which are poor conductors and do not allow
electrical current to flow through them easily.
• How well a material conducts depends on the number of free
electrons in the material.
Can you answer these questions based on the video?

• Are metals generally good conductors or poor conductors of electricity?

Metals such as copper and aluminium are generally good conductors of
electricity.

• Why is the outside of electric wires generally covered in plastic?

Plastic is a poor conductor of electricity as it is an electrical insulator. This
means you don’t get an electric shock when you touch the plastic
Conductors
• Most metals allow electrical current to flow through them easily
because they have a low resistance. The process of electrical current
flowing through a wire is called conduction, and materials which
conduct are called conductors.
Structure of metals
• To understand why metals conduct well, it is useful to look at
the structure of a metal.
• Electrons usually orbit atoms. They cannot escape because
the negatively charged electrons are attracted to the
positively charged nucleus by strong electrostatic forces. The Electrons usually orbit atoms
electrons are bound to the nucleus. and are bound to the nucleus by
strong electrostatic forces

• Because the outer electrons orbit further from the nucleus,

the forces binding them are weaker.
In a metal, the forces on these outer electrons are weak
enough that the electrons can move relatively freely, from
In the metal the outer
atom to atom. These are called free electrons or delocalised electrons are more
electrons. loosely bound and can
move between atoms
• Materials with many free electrons, such as metals, are good electrical conductors
because these free electrons can flow through the metal when a potential difference is
applied.
• Metals with more free electrons, like copper or silver, are the best conductors - they
have the least resistance.
• Metals with fewer free electrons, like lead or tin, have higher resistance so do not
conduct as well.

Aluminium is a good electrical conductor because Metals are made of neat rows of positive ions
it has many free electrons which can flow
through the metal
Insulators
• Most non-metals, like plastic, glass and rubber do not allow electrical
current to flow through them easily. They have a high resistance and are
called insulators.

• Non-metals are poor conductors because they have very few free
electrons. This makes it difficult for electrical current to flow through
them. Insulators such as plastic or rubber are used to cover electrical
wires. This prevents electric shocks that could be caused if someone were
to touch the bare wire.

• Mains electrical cables contain a metal wire, covered in plastic insulation.

This ensures you cannot touch the bare wires which could cause a
dangerous electric shock.
• The case of the plug is usually made of plastic or rubber too, for the
same reason.
• Although most non-metals are poor conductors, graphite is an example
of a non-metal which is a good electrical conductor. The centre of most
pencils contains graphite. You could sharpen both ends of a pencil and
use it to complete an electrical circuit, in place of a wire.
Conduction in liquids and gases
• Liquids
• Many liquids, such as distilled water (water, with no dissolved minerals
or salts), oil or alcohol, are poor electrical conductors. These are called
insulators.
• Some liquids can conduct including:
rainwater
salt water
tap water
• This is due to the dissolved salts and minerals they contain. Liquids
which are electrical conductors are called electrolytes.
The salt water in the container is an electrolyte. It is a liquid
which is an electrical conductor. The bulb will light up because
the electrical current can pass through the salt water

Gases
Gases are generally poor electrical conductors. This is why electrical currents cannot easily
pass through the air.

However, electrical currents can pass through the air under certain conditions, for
example when lightning strikes the ground, or an electrical spark jumps across a gap.
Key points
• Resistance (R) is a measure of how difficult it is for current to flow.
Resistance is measured in units called ohms (Ω).
• The amount of current flowing in a circuit is affected by the resistance of
that circuit.
• Each component in a circuit has a resistance.
• Resistance can be calculated using the equation:
• Resistance = potential difference ÷ current
• What happens to the current in a circuit when you add a piece of
resistance wire?
The current decreases
• What is the unit of measurement for resistance?
Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω)
• Resistance is measured in units called ohms, which is represented by
the symbol Ω (an uppercase Greek letter omega). For example, a
Resistors
• It can be useful to add resistance to a circuit. For example, increasing
resistance can make a motor spin more slowly, or make a lamp light
less bright. A component called a resistor can be added in series to a
circuit to increase the total resistance.
• The image shows different types of resistors.resistance of 10 ohms can
be written as 10 Ω.
The moving electrons can collide with the ions in the metal. This
makes it more difficult for the current to flow, and causes resistance.
The resistance of a long wire is greater than the resistance of a short
wire because electrons collide with more ions as they pass through
• There is a resistance to the flow of an electric current through most
conductors.
• The resistance in a wire increases as:

• the length of the wire increases

• the thickness of the wire decreases
• An electric current flows when electrons move through a conductor,
such as a metal wire. The moving electrons can collide with the ions in
the metal. This makes it more difficult for the current to flow, and
causes resistance.
• The resistance of a long wire is greater than the resistance of a short
wire because electrons collide with more ions as they pass through.
The relationship between resistance and wire length is proportional.
 Current
• When a circuit has been connected correctly, an electrical current flows. Just like a
current in a river is a flow of water, an electrical current in a wire is a flow of
electrons.
• The more electrons flow through a wire each second, the greater the current.
• The units of current are called amperes, often shortened to amps. Use the symbol
A to represent amperes, eg a current of 1.5 amps can be written as 1.5 A.
• Current is measured using a device called an ammeter.
• Ammeters are connected into a circuit using wires, like any other component.
• An ammeter is connected in series, meaning it is connected in a loop with all the
other components.
• The ammeter can be placed anywhere in a series circuit
 Potential difference
• Potential difference is the amount of energy transferred by each unit of
charge passing between two points of a circuit.
• The unit of potential difference is the volt. The symbol for volts is V.
• Potential difference is also commonly called ‘voltage’.
• Potential difference is measured using a device called a voltmeter.
• The potential difference produced by a cell or battery can be measured
by connecting the leads of the voltmeter to each side of the cell or
battery.
• Unlike an ammeter, a voltmeter is connected in parallel – meaning it is
on its own separate branch of the circuit.
• It cannot be connected in series (in the same loop as the other
components)
The potential difference across a component can be measured
by connecting the leads of the voltmeter on each side of the
component.
The diagram below shows how a voltmeter can be connected to
measure the potential difference across a lamp.