Insulators and Conductors

1. Insulators and Conductors 9.6

2. Task 1: Design a safety poster telling people at least two ways of how to be safe during a thunderstorm and to avoid lightning.

3. Insulators and Conductors • In order to use electricity to our advantage, we have need both insulators and conductors. • An insulator is a substance which slows the free movement of electrons from atom to atom. • Since insulators do not allow the free movement of electrons, they can encourage the build up of static charge on the surface.

4. Insulators and Conductors • A conductor is a substance in which electrons can move freely from one atom to another. • On the other hand, since conductors such as copper allow the free movement (conduction) of electrons, a static charge can never build up.

5. Static Electricity and Winter The reason static electricity is worse in the winter is that the cold air is drier then the rest of the year and contains few water molecules. Dry air is an insulator and does not easily pick up the charges from our body. Therefore, any static charges that build up on our clothes and body tend to stay.

6. Common Insulators and Conductors Good Fair Good Conductors Conductor Insulator Copper Carbon Fur Gold Human body Rubber Mercury Earth Wood Iron Water Vapour Paper