Difference between Conductors and Insulators
Conductors and insulators are opposite concepts in the current electricity. Conductors are the materials or substances which are having free electrons which can flow under the action of electric field. Insulators which are also called dielectric are the materials or substances in which electrons cannot flow under the action of electric field. In conductors electrons are not bound to the particular crystal or molecules. In insulators electrons are bound to the particular crystal or molecule that’s why they cannot flow under the action of electric field. In reality most of the good conductors offer some resitance to the motion of electrons when electric field is applied. In equilibrium there cannot be an electric field inside the conductors until an external field applied to it. The difference between them is as follows.
Conductors
- Substaces which allows to carry heat and electricity through them are knonw as conductors.
- Conductors are also known as electropositive substances as they can donate an eletron to complete its orbit.
- Conductors have some loosely bounded electrons present in its last orbit termed as free electrons.
- Free electrons can made available for conduction if any external source of energy is given, and acts as charge carriers and constitutes an electric current.
- Apart from the electricity, conductors have wide range of application in heat energy also.
- Conductors can expands when heat is given to them, this charactersitics of conductors is useful in devices like thermometer, electric iron, geyser etc.
Insulators
- Substaces which does not allow to carry heat and electricity through them are knonw as Insulators.
- Insulators are also known as electronegative substances as they can accept an eletron to complete its orbit.
- Insulators do not have loosely bounded electrons present in its last orbit termed as free electrons.
- Free electrons are not available for conduction.
- Insulationg materials are useful for making handles of utensils, insulation over the conducting wire etc.
- Insulators cannot expands when heat is given to them.