Electrical Conductor

Key Stage 2

Meaning

Wires have metal inside them because metal makes a good electrical conductor.

An electrical conductor is a material that allows electricity to flow through it easily.

Singular Noun: Electrical conductor

Plural Noun: Electrical conductors

Verb: To electrically conduct

Adjective: Electrically conductive

About Electrical Conductors

Metals make good electrical conductors.

Plastic, rubber and the air make bad electrical conductors.


Metal is a good electrical conductor.	Salty water is an electrical conductor.

Key Stage 3

Meaning

An electrical conductor is a material with a very low resistance to the flow of electricity.

About Electrical Conductors

Metal elements are good electrical conductors.

Metals make good conductors because they have free electrons that can move around the metal.

Non-metal elements are usually poor electrical conductors. Carbon in the form of graphite is an exception to this.

Salts that are molten or dissolved in water are electrical conductors.

Salts make good conductors when the ions are free to move through the substance.

To determine if an object is a good electrical conductor the object can be added to a circuit. If a current flows then it is a good conductor.

To compare the conductivity of different objects an ammeter can be added to the circuit. The higher the current the better the object is at conducting.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

An electrical conductor is a material with a very low resistance to the flow of electricity.

About Electrical Conductors

Metal elements are good electrical conductors.

Metals make good conductors due to the metallic bonds in which a sea delocalised electrons is free to move past a lattice of positive metal ions.

Non-metal elements are usually poor electrical conductors as electrons are not free to move from one atom to another. Carbon in the form of graphite is an exception to this.

Salts that are molten or dissolved in water are electrical conductors.

Salts make good conductors when the ions are free to move through the substance.

To determine if an object is a good electrical conductor the object can be added to a circuit. If the ratio of potential difference to current is low then it is a good conductor.

To compare the conductivity of components in a circuit an ammeter can be added in series with the component and a voltmeter in parallel to the component. The smaller the resistance the better the object is at conducting.