Not every atom is created equal. The atomic structure varies from atom to atom. Some atoms are incapable of holding their outer electrons together. They are called free electrons because they can roam freely from atom to atom. These electrons pass electrical energy from one particle to another thereby transferring energy in the form of electricity. A conductor is a substance which anticipates free flow of electrical charge. On the contrary, an insulator resists electricity, which means it has exactly the opposite effect on the flow of electrons. The electrons bind together tightly within atoms, thereby restricting free flow of electrical charge. Let’s study the difference between the two in detail.
Conductors are substances that allow free electrons to flow through them easily, thereby transferring energy in the form of electricity as electrons move freely from atom to atom. In simple terms, conductors permit electrons to roam freely from particle to particle in one or more directions. If you send an electrically charged electron into a conductor, it hits a free electron, eventually knocking it off until it knocks off other free electrons. This triggers sort of a chain reaction creating electrical charge through the material. These substances can easily pass electricity through them as their atomic structure allows the free electrons to move freely from one particle to another with ease.
Most metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, gold, and silver are good conductors of electricity as the electrons are free to move from one atom to another. For example, copper is a good conductor because it anticipates the free flow of electrons quite easily. Aluminum, on the other hand, is also a fair conductor but it’s not as good as copper. It is very lightweight so mostly used in power distribution cables. Let’s take an example of a bulb. When you switch on the light, the electrical charge passes through the wire which causes the bulb to emit light. It’s nothing but flow of electrons between atoms.
Metals are the most common conductors of electricity. Other conductors include semiconductors, electrolytes, plasmas, plus non-metallic conductors such as conductive polymers and graphite. Silver is a better conductor than copper but is not practical to use in most cases because of its higher cost. However, it is used for specialized and sensitive equipment such as satellites. Even water mixed with impurities such as salt can be considered as a conductor.