UNIT 1 - electrical conductivity Flashcards
what is an electrical current?
a flow of charged particles (e-, ions)
what do conductors of electricity allow?
they allow an electrical current to flow through them
what do non-conductors of electricity not allow?
they dont allow an electrical current to flow through them
describe the experiment for finding out what elements conduct electricity.
connect a battery to a bulb then the bulb to an element, if the bulb glows when in contact with the element it is a conductor
what elements are electrical conductors?
metal elements and carbon in the form of graphite
what elements are not electrical conductors?
non-metals
what do the atoms share in a covalent bond?
a pair of electrons
why is there no conduction of electricity in a covalent bond?
because the electrons are not free to move around because the atoms share a pair of electrons
why do non-metals not conduct electricity?
because they do not have charged particles which can move and therefore they do not conduct electricity
what is the one electrical conductor that is a non-metal?
carbon in the form of graphite
what does carbon in the form of graphite have?
a layered covalent network structure
what does each carbon in the form of graphite atom use?
only 3 electrons for bonding, the remaining electron is delocalised over the whole structure
why can carbon in the form of graphite conduct electricity?
because the electrons are free to move between the layers therefore the electrons can flow through it
what compounds do not conduct electricity? and why?
-covalent compounds because the electrons in covalent compound are not free to move,
-ionic compounds do not conduct electricity in the solid state, however they conduct when dissolved in water or when molten
why can ionic compounds only conduct electricity when dissolved in water or when molten?
because the lattice break and the ions become free to move