Assignment on conductors and

insulators
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Submitted by;

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B.S Physics 1st semester

Group name
 conductores

Definition;
An electrical conductor is a substance in which

electrical charge carriers, usually electrons, move easily from atom to

atom with the application of voltage. Conductivity, in general, is the

capacity to transmit something, such as electricity or heat.

Principal;
Conductors are the materials or substances which allow

electricity to flow through them. They are able to conduct

electricity because they allow electrons to flow inside them very

easily. Conductors have this property of allowing the transition

of heat or light from one source to another.

Conductivity is the allowance of electrical current to flow.

Resistance refers to a materials resistance to allow this

electrical flow, therefore conductive materials have low

resistance.
Examples of Conductors;
 Silver is the best conductor of electricity. However, it is costly and so, we

don’t use silver in industries and transmission of electricity.

 Copper, Brass, Steel, Gold, and Aluminum are good conductors of electricity. We

use them mostly in electric circuits and systems in the form of wires.

 Mercury is an excellent liquid conductor that finds use in many instruments.

 Gases are not good conductors of electricity as the particles of matter are

quite far away and thus, they are unable to conduct electrons.
types of conductors;
 Hard Drawn Copper Conductor
Such type of conductors gives high tensile strength. It has high electrical conductivity, long life, and
high scrap value. It is most suitable for distribution work where spans and tapping are more.

 Cadmium Copper Conductor

The tensile strength of the copper is increased by approximately 50 percent by adding about 0.7 to
1.0 percent cadmium to it, but their conductivity is reduced by about 15 to 17 percent. The
property of higher tensile strength enables the conductor to be erected on longer spans with the
same sag.

 Copper Welded Conductor

In such type of conductors, the uniform layers of copper are welded onto a steel wire. The
conductivity of the copper welded conductor varies from 30 to 60 percent to that a solid copper
conductor with the same diameter. Such types of conductors may be used for longer span such as a
river crossing.

 Steel-Cored Copper Conductor (SCC)

In steel cored copper conductor one or two layers of copper strands surround a steel cored copper
conductors.The steel core adds the tensile strength to the conductor.
  Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced
All aluminium conductors are not sufficiently strong mechanically for the construction of long span
lines. This deficiency in strength can be compensated by adding a steel core to the conductor. Such
a conductor is called steel-cored aluminium conductor (SCA) or aluminium conductor steel
reinforced (ACSR).
Warking of conductores;
An electrical conductor contains charged particles that
are able to move throughout the substance. These
particles are commonly electrons (as in metals) or ionised
particles suspended in a solution (as in salt water) - I will
refer to both as 'ions' from here on.
When an electro-motive force (voltage) is applied to the
conductor, the charges will move towards the terminal
opposing their charge (i.e. negatively charged electrons
will travel towards the positive terminal). In a closed
circuit, these ions will be replaced by other ions flowing
from the voltage source. The moving charges are the
current.
Basically, a conductor is just a substance that has free-
moving ions, allowing a force applied to ions at one end to
ripple through it and cause a current to flow
Applications of Conductors;

Conductors are quite useful in many ways. They find used in many real-life

applications like:

 Mercury is a common ingredient in thermometer to check the temperature of the

body.

 Aluminium finds use in making foils to store food and also in the production of fry

pans to store heat quickly.

 Iron is common in vehicle engine manufacturing to conduct heat.

 The plate of an iron is made up of steel to absorb heat briskly.

 Conductors find their use in car radiators to eradicate heat away from the
engine.
 Insulatores
Defination;
A material or an object that does not easily
allow heat, electricity, light, or sound to pass through it.
Air, cloth and rubber are good electrical insulators;
feathers and wool make good thermal insulators.
Compare conductor.
Principal;
An electrical insulator is a material whose internal

electric charges do not flow freely; very little electric current

will flow through it under the influence of an electric field.

This contrasts with other materials, semiconductors and

conductors, which conduct electric current more easily.

Examples of Insulators:

1. Glass

2. Plastic

3. Rubber

4. Porcelain

5. Wood

6. Distilled or pure water

7. Ceramic

8. asphalt
type of insulators;
 Flexible Extruded Insulators
These are the materials put around electrical cables. They are usually organic materials

such as PVC. XLPE, ethylene propylene rubber, silicon rubber. Each has different properties

(and cost).

 Rigid Insulators
For high voltage applications, inorganic insulators such as glass or ceramic are often

chosen. They are often stacked a a series of discs which give greater tracking distances and

good water shedding ability. When properly glazed, they are impervious to moisture and

are UV resistant. They are used for the support of high voltage transmission lines from their

towers, and for the bushings where these lines enter transformers and switchgear.

 Sheet Insulators
Sheet insulators are used for winding insulation in transformers, motors and other

electrical machines. These need to have a high temperature rating to match or exceed the
 temperature class of the machine. They must be thin, flexible, and non-hygroscopic (i.e.

low water absorption). Materials such as mylar and Nomex (TM) come to mind.

 Polyethylene
polyethylene is a thermoplastic material that combines unusual electrical process,

high resistance to moisture and chemical, easy processability and low cost. It has got high

resistivity and good dielectric properties at high frequencies and therefore, is widely used

for power and coaxial cables, telephone cables multi-conductor control cable, TV lead-in

wire etc.

 Porcelain
It is made from china clay used as insulating supports for overhead lines, and also in

making spark plugs. Inferior porcelain is used in low voltage switches and fine gears.

 Bakelite
It is a synthetic product. Insulating properties are good and so is used in making all kinds of

small electrical fitting, terminal boards, lamp holders, switch covers etc.
Working of insulaters;
Heat flows naturally from warmer areas to cooler ones. During the

winter, heat moves directly from warm spaces (such as your home!) to outdoors and

unheated spaces. During the summer months, heat moves from the warm outdoors to the

cooler interior of your home.

Insulation works by slowing the movement of heat from a hot space to a cooler space.

Insulation helps increase the energy efficiency of your home by reducing the amount of

heat that escapes from it in the winter (containing the heat and keeping the house warm)

and keeping it from getting too warm in the summer months (retaining the cold air and

keeping the interior comfortable).

When installed properly, insulation can increase the comfort levels of your home by

maintaining a consistent, uniform temperature from room to room. Insulation will also

increase your home’s energy efficiency, significantly lowering heating and cooling bills.
Applications of insulaters
 Thermal Insulator;

A thermal insulator is used to prevent heat from moving from one place to another.

Typically thermal insulators prevent conduction through a material that prevents heat from

moving through them easily. These materials include plastics, Styrofoam, reflective

materials that enhance reflection of radiation and reduce absorption and green roofs to

plant an insulation layer that absorbs and reflects radiation from the sun. These materials

reduce thermal conduction by making thermal energy more difficult to travel.

 Sound Insulator;
Insulators that reduce sounds are used for soundproofing rooms or for noise

control. Sound insulators work to reduce sound energy that is reflected by room surfaces.

Sound insulators include vinyl barriers that block noise from traffic, voices and music; foam

cells that dampen noise as it passes through multiple foam cells; and acoustic tiles that

absorb, echo and minimize reverberation.

 Electrical Insulator;
An electrical insulator, also known as a noncunductor, is used to prevent the flow of electric

currents.

. Electrical insulators used for circuit boards, high voltage systems and as coating on

electric wire and cable.