conductor

Examples of conductor in the following topics:

• Conductors

  • A conductor is a material which contains movable electric charges.
  • In describing conductors using the concept of band theory, it is best to focus on conductors that conduct electricity using mobile electrons.
  • Most familiar conductors are metallic.
  • Silver is the best conductor, but it is expensive.
  • However, some non-metallic materials are practical electrical conductors without being good thermal conductors.

• Semiconductors

  • Semiconductors are materials that have properties in between those of normal conductors and insulators; they are often produced by doping.
  • Semiconductors are materials that have properties of both normal conductors and insulators.
  • When a semiconductor is doped to such a high level that it acts more like a conductor than a semiconductor, it is referred to as degenerate.
  • Compare N-type and P-type semi-conductors, distinguishing them from semi-conductors and insulators using band theory.

• General Properties of Metals

  • A metal can refer to an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat.
  • A metal can refer to an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat.

• Properties of Carbon

  • Diamond is transparent, the ultimate abrasive, and can be an electrical insulator and thermal conductor.
  • Conversely, graphite is opaque, a very good lubricant, a good conductor of electricity, and a thermal insulator.

• Mercury

  • Compared to other metals, mercury is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.

• Allotropes of Carbon

  • Uses of diamond include cutting, drilling, and grinding; jewelry; and in the semi-conductor industry.
  • Graphite is another allotrope of carbon; unlike diamond, it is an electrical conductor and a semi-metal.
  • Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical carbon molecules that exhibit extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties and are efficient conductors of heat.

• Electrolytic Cells

  • Two electrodes: an electrical conductor that provides the physical interface between the electrical circuit providing the energy and the electrolyte.

• Bonding in Metals: The Electron Sea Model

  • Metals are good conductors of electricity because the electrons in the electron sea are free to flow and carry electric current.

• Elemental Boron

  • Amorphous boron is a brown powder, while crystalline boron is black, extremely hard (about 9.5 on the Mohs scale), and a poor conductor at room temperature.

• Electrolyte and Nonelectrolyte Solutions

  • By contrast, if a compound dissociates to a small extent, the solution will be a weak conductor of electricity; a compound that only dissociates weakly, therefore, is known as a weak electrolyte.