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A material that readily transmits energy is a conductor, while one that resists energy transfer is an insulator. There are different types of conductors and insulators, as there are different forms of energy. Materials that conduct electrons, protons, or ions are electrical conductors, which means that they conduct electricity. Generally, electrical conductors have loosely bound electrons. In other contexts, materials that conduct heat are thermal conductors, and substances that transfer sound are acoustic conductors. There are corresponding insulators for each of the conductor types mentioned.
Many materials are both electrical and thermal conductors or insulators; however, there are exceptions, so it should not be assumed that just because a sample conducts (insulates) one form of energy, it behaves the same way for other forms, metals usually conduct both heat and electricity. Carbon conducts electricity like graphite but insulates like diamond, so the shapes or allotropes of a material can be important. In this example, both graphite and diamond are alloptropes of carbon, that is, they are different forms of the same element (carbon), but one is soft and the other is extremely hard.
Electric conductors
Materials that allow electricity to pass through them easily are called electrical conductors. Examples of these materials include many metals, such as iron, steel, copper, and aluminum.
Electrical objects use metal parts to conduct electricity, such as the copper wires inside electrical cables, the metal prongs or pins in plugs, and the wire strands in electric light bulbs.
Not only metals are conductors of electricity, carbon is an electrical conductor, although it is not a metal, water also conducts electricity, which is why electrical objects should not be used near water. However, pure or ultra pure water is a good conductor of electricity, due to the low concentration of ions and since the electric current is carried by means of ions in solution, the conductivity increases when the concentration of ions increases, consequently , sea water if it is a good conductor.
electrical insulators
The materials that do not allow the passage of electricity are called electrical insulators, for example, plastic, rubber, wood, dry paper, pure water, glass and air.
thermal conductors
Materials that allow heat to pass easily through them are called thermal conductors. Metals, such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, steel and iron, are good thermal conductors, they can be very useful when it is necessary to cool or heat objects quickly, for example, a pot or pan. metal that allows heat to be quickly transferred to the food inside.
Thermal insulation
The materials that prevent heat from passing through them are called thermal insulators, a good thermal insulator will keep the cold from cold objects for a long time and the heat from hot objects also for a long time, for example, wood, plastic and many fabrics such as wool and cotton are good thermal insulators.
