Lesson 3 Conductors, Semiconductors and Insulators

CONDUCTORS, INSULATORS, SEMICONDUCTORS
I. Answer these questions before you read the text.

1. What is electrical conductivity?
2. What are conductors?
3. What are semiconductors used for?
4. What metals are considered good conductors?
5. What does the electrical conductivity of materials depend on?
Read the text and check your answers.
II. Now read the text again, and then answer the questions that follow.
In electrical engineering materials may be classified into three groups, i.e.

conducting materials, insulating materials and semi conducting materials
depending on their ability to conduct electricity.
The first category includes conductors, i.e. materials which provide an easy
path for an electric current. Conductors are materials that obey Ohm’s law
and have very low resistance. We have already mentioned the electron
theory which states that all matter is composed of atoms. Atoms consist of a
small positive nucleus surrounded by a cloud of electrons. Conductors are
materials where some of these electrons are free to move. These free
electrons, considered identical to the outermost, or valence electrons, are
not constrained to remain in a particular atom. They are able to move freely
in matter or a vacuum when an external electric field acts on them. The
electric conductivity of the material is dependent upon the atomic structure
of the material of which the conductors are made. Normally, conductors
have three or less valence electrons, insulators have five or more and
semiconductors usually have four valence electrons. To end up with, the
materials in which it is easy to get electrons to move and provide a flow of
electric current, are conductors. They are mostly metals, such as copper,
aluminium, silver, gold, etc.
Copper and copper-based alloys are unique in their desirable combination of
physical and mechanical properties. Due to their high electrical and thermal
conductivity, they are very important in electrical industry. Copper is widely
used for cables, transformer windings etc. Although silver is a slightly better
conductor than copper, it is too expensive for common use. Aluminium is
not as good conductor as copper, but it is cheaper and lighter. It is resistant
to atmospheric weathering and today it is the dominant metal for the
transmission lines of electrical energy.
Materials which offer high resistance to current flow are called insulators.
Even the best insulators do release an occasional free electron to serve as a
current carrier. However, for most practical purposes we consider an
insulator to be a material that allows no current flow through it. Common
insulator materials used in electrical devices are paper, wood, plastics,
rubber, glass etc. Notice that common insulators are not pure elements.
They are materials in which two or more elements are joined together to
form a new substance. In the process of joining together, elements share
their valence electrons. This sharing of valence electrons is called covalent
bonding. It takes a lot of added energy to break an electron free of a covalent
bond.
Between the extremes of conductors and insulators is a group of materials
known as semiconductors. The basic property of a semiconductor is given
by its name - it “conducts a little bit”. A semiconductor will carry electric
current, but not easily as a normal conductor. Semiconductors are midway
between conductors and insulators. They are neither good conductors nor
good insulators. Under certain conditions they allow a current to flow easily
but under others they behave as insulators. Germanium and silicon are
semiconductors. The total conductivity in semiconducting materials is the
sum of electron current and hole current. Semiconductors are extremely
important industrial materials, they are materials from which electronic
devices such as transistors, diodes, integrated circuits, and solar cells are
manufactured. Without them modern electronic technology would not be
possible, it would be even inconceivable.
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Electrical conductivity - the ability of a material to conduct an electric

current, as measured by the current per unit of applied voltage; it is the
reciprocal of resistivity
Electrical resistance - the measure of the difficulty of the electric current to
pass through a given material; its unit is the ohm (Ω)
Conduction band - the unfilled energy levels into which electrons can be
excited to become conductive electrons; a band that when occupied by
mobile electrons, permits their net movement in a particular direction,
producing the flow of electricity through the solid
Dopant or doping agent - an impurity element added to a semiconductor
material under precisely controlled conditions to create PN junctions
required for transistors and semiconductor diodes
Integrated circuit (IC) - a single semiconductor chip or wafer which
contains thousands or millions of circuit elements per square centimetre
Transistor (Transfer resistor) - an active semiconductor device that has
three or more electrodes, i.e. emitter, base and collector; it can perform
practically all the functions of tubes, including amplification and
rectification
III. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What materials are there in electrical engineering?

2. According to what has this classification been made?
3. How many valence electrons do conductors have?
4. What metals are considered good conductors?
5. What are the most important properties of copper?
6. What is copper used for?
7. Why is aluminium used for open wire lines?
8. Name some insulators.
9. What are semiconductors?
10. What is the difference between conductors and semiconductors
regarding total conductivity?
11. What are semiconductors used for?
IV. FILL IN THE MISSING WORDS

(Some words may be used more than once)
Aluminium atomic bars conductivity conductor copper

electricity gold insulators made metals power lines resistance
sheets silver spans supports tubes weight wire
1. The electrical ___________________ of matter is dependent upon the

_________________ structure of the material from which the
_____________________ is _________________.
2. ____________________ have an extremely high ______________________ to the

flow of _____________________.
3. Some __________________ are better conductors of ___________________

than others.
4. _______________ is the best conductor, followed by __________________,

________________ and _____________________.
5. _____________________ is used where ____________________ is a major

consideration, such as high-tension _________________ ___________________,
with long __________________ between ___________________.
6. Conductors are usually found in the form of ______________________, but

may be in the forms of ____________________, ______________________ or
____________________
The end

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CONDUCTORS, INSULATORS, SEMICONDUCTORS

I. Answer these questions before you read the text.

Read the text and check your answers.

In electrical engineering materials may be classified into three groups, i.e.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Electrical conductivity - the ability of a material to conduct an electric

1. What materials are there in electrical engineering?

IV. FILL IN THE MISSING WORDS

Aluminium atomic bars conductivity conductor copper

1. The electrical ___________________ of matter is dependent upon the

2. have an extremely high __ to the

3. Some are better conductors of _

4. _ is the best conductor, followed by ____,

5. _ is used where is a major

6. Conductors are usually found in the form of ______________________, but

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