Question

Why+hydrocarbons+are+poor+conductors+of+electricity

Answer 1

Answer:

Pure carbon, in the form of graphite, not diamond, is actually a very good conductor, due to the aromaticity of the rings in the hexagonal 2-d planar layers that make up the crystal. The aromatic p-electrons are very delocalized and they flow freely in between the layers when a voltage is applied.

Here’s a video showing what actually happens when you put a graphite pencil straight across a circuit at low voltage, only 13 V was used here, I think. Because the resistance is very low, a high current is developed, and the ohmic heating, which goes up with the square of the current becomes large enough to destroy the pencil - it eventually bursts into flames, leaving just the graphite core. Just put a real resistor or a light bulb in series into the circuit and this result could have beeen completely prevented, by limiting the current.

Answer 2

As there are no free electrons to carry the electric current, hydrocarbons cannot conduct electricity (whether molten or not).