explain an activity that metal is a goo conductor of electricity. and wood is a bad conductor
Answers
Answer:
Generally speaking, metals are better conductors than non-metals, but some metals are better conductors than other metals, and some non-metals are better insulators (non-conductors than others).
The reason for this is the electrons in the element’s valence shell (the outermost layer). No mater how many protons and electrons an atom has, the outer layer will have between 1 and 8 electrons, and that number determines it’s nature of conductivity.
Most metals and other good conductors have 1, 2 or 3 electrons in the valence shell, these are conductors because they are more likely to share an electron if sufficiently motivated (for example, by the electric charge of another nearby atom, or proximity to a moving magnetic field). The less electrons, the better the conductor because it takes less energy to cause the atom to shed an electron and contribute to flow of electrical current.
Atoms with 4 electrons are referred to as semi-conductors, they are as likely to share an electron as they are to hold on to them and resist current. There are entire fields of electronics devoted to the development and utilization of semiconductor devices that I won’t touch right now.
Atoms with 5, 6 or 7 electrons are much more stable with their configuration and are more likely to pick up and hold on to a passing electron, preventing current from passing. For this reason they are known as insulators, dielectrics or non-conductors. The more electrons (7 versus 5), the more stable the valence shell is and the more resistant it is to an electron being pushed off to go with the current.
Elements with 8 electrons in the valence shell are almost always single atom gasses that don’t interact with Anything unless a lot of energy is applied, for example large amounts of electricity in a narrow glass tube, i.e. Neon lightning. Because of their solitary behavior they earned the monicker Noble gases
Answer:
jdidihsisiiauwhwiaosbsbsoso