Metals as Conductors (AQA GCSE Chemistry)
Revision Note
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AlexandraExpertise
Chemistry
Electrical Conductivity
- Metals have free electrons available to move and carry charge through the metal lattice structure
- Free electrons can also be called mobile or delocalised
- Electrons entering one end of the metal cause a delocalised electron to displace itself from the other end
- Hence electrons can flow so electricity is conducted
- Copper is used extensively in the production of electrical wiring due to its excellent malleability and electrical conductivity
Copper has one of the highest electrical conductivities of any metal
Exam Tip
Insulators are the opposite of conductors in that they do not conduct electricity. Plastic, rubber and wood are examples of materials that are insulators.
Exam Tip
When explaining why metals conduct electricity in an exam, be careful that you don't write electrons move 'throughout' the structure, but say 'through' the structure.
Thermal Conductivity
- Similarly, metals are also good conductors of heat
- The delocalised electrons are free to move and can also carry thermal energy throughout the metal lattice structure
- Some metals are better conductors of heat energy than others
A Table Showing the Different Conductivities of Metals
*W/mK = Watts per metre Kelvin is a unit of thermal conductivity
Exam Tip
Copper again is an excellent thermal conductor. For this reason many older cooking utensils were made of copper before the advent of alloys and composites.
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