Conductors

materials that permit electrons to flow freely from

particle to particle

DEFINITION

An object made of a conducting material will permit charge to be

transferred across the entire surface of another object. If charge is
transferred to the object at a given location, that charge is quickly
distributed across the entire surface of the object. The distribution of
charge is the result of electron movement.
The transfer of charge between objects occurs more readily if the
second object is made of a conducting material.

Electron Movement

Since conductors allow for electrons to be transported

from particle to particle, a charged object will always
distribute its charge until the overall repulsive forces
between excess electrons is minimized.
Outer electrons of the atoms are loosely bound and
free to move through the material.

Properties of Semiconductors

Energy Bands
Available energy states form bands instead of having discrete
energies

Fermi Level / Band Gap

The energy difference between the highest occupied state in the valence
band and the lowest unoccupied state in the conduction band.

In conductors, there is no
band gap since the valence
band overlaps the conduction
band. The overlap is due to
the free valence electrons in
conductors.

Properties of Conductors

Properties of Conductors

1. There is no electric field inside a conductor.

Otherwise, the charges in the conductor would move.
2. Charges exist only on the surface of a conductor.
Otherwise, there would be electric fields inside.
3. All points of a conductor are at the same potential.
Since DV=-EDx, since E=0, the potential must be constant.

Superconductors
materials that can conduct electricity or transport
electrons from one atom to another with no resistance
this means no heat, sound or any other form of energy
would be released from the material when it has reached
"critical temperature" (Tc), or the temperature at which the
material becomes superconductive
most materials must be in an extremely low energy state
(very cold) in order to become superconductive

Superconductors

A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor, cooled

with liquid nitrogen. Persistent electric current flows on the surface of
the superconductor, acting to exclude the magnetic field of the
magnet (Faraday's law of induction). This current effectively forms an
electromagnet that repels the magnet.

Metals

Copper
Silver
The fact that electric fields do not penetrate into conductors explains why light, which is an
electromagnetic wave, also does not penetrate into a metal. A radio wave, which is just a
long wavelength light signal, does not propagate underneath a bridge or into a tunnel
because of the steel reinforcements in the concrete.

Aluminum is used
for making frying
pans to absorb heat
quickly

Mercury is used
in thermometers
to absorb heat

Refrigerators have
copper pipes at
the back for
conducting away
heat from coolant

Motor engines are

made of iron to
conduct away heat

The iron plate of

an electric iron is
made of steel to
absorb
heat quickly

The head of a
soldering iron is
made of copper
to be heated
quickly