copper and other metals can be extremely good at conducting electricity. but some other metals resist it. why do some metals conduct better than others? what is it about metal that makes conductivity possible? and water isn't a metal and it conducts it really well. what makes a substance conduct electricity or resist it or insulates it?
all metals are capable of conducting electricity - they conduct because the atoms do not hold their electrons tightly when in large groups so the electrons (negatively charged subatomic particles) are free to move (throughout the atoms). Moving charge = electricity! The lcan metal conduct electricityevel of conductance is based upon their "willingness" to allow their electrons to move (sea of mobile electrons)
Water (pure) does not conduct electricity - there is no freely moving charge (contains no charged particles). When ionic substances (salts) dissolve in water they dissociate into seperatre ions which are free to move about and therefore you have moving charge.
A human has salts on their skin. When a human is in water it is like having dissolved salts - now that water will conduct electricity. Be careful of newly found knowledge - It can be dangerous sometimes!
can metal conduct electricity
For the purpose of elecronics and electrical engineering, materials are classified according to their electrical resistance, which describes how readily they allow electric current to pass when a voltage is applied. Apart from conductors, materials are classed as insulators (very poor conductors), semi-conductors (basically, materials whose ability to conduct electricity can be controlled), and superconductors which (below a critical e, usually a very low one) offer no significant electrical resistance, allowing circular currents, once established, to flow indefinitely.
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