Electrical conduction depends on available charge carriers and how they move through a material. The virtual comparison fixes geometry and the applied potential difference, leaving material as the intended variable. Metals and graphite provide conducting examples; dry plastic and rubber provide insulating examples. Real resistance varies continuously and depends on conditions rather than a universal binary label.
Light, sound and electricity · Discover & try
Which materials complete an electrical path?
Reading level 5 of 5 · AdvancedChange
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conductor
A material that allows charge to move relatively easily.
insulator
A material that strongly resists charge movement under the comparison conditions.
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See how it works
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Qualitative virtual sample comparison at fixed geometry; no household electrical testing.
What to look for
- Graphite is a conducting nonmetal
- Dry plastic resists current
- Appearance alone is not the test
Explain what you noticed
A wire has a copper core inside a dry-plastic jacket. Which part provides the main conducting path?
Keep this idea: Compare material properties under the same conditions.
Follow the sources
- NASA Goddard archive — All Things Electric and Magnetic: Electric Fluid
- U.S. Department of Energy — Electrical Science: Basic Electrical Theory
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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