The electrons of different types of atoms have different degrees of freedom to move around.
With some types of materials, such as metals, the outermost electrons in the atoms are so
loosely bound that they chaotically move in the space between the atoms of that material by
nothing more than the influence of room-temperature heat energy. Because these virtually unbound
electrons are free to leave their respective atoms and float around in the space between
adjacent atoms, they are often called free electrons.
In other types of materials such as glass, the atoms’ electrons have very little freedom to
move around. While external forces such as physical rubbing can force some of these electrons
to leave their respective atoms and transfer to the atoms of another material, they do not move
between atoms within that material very easily.
This relative mobility of electrons within a material is known as electric conductivity. Conductivity
is determined by the types of atoms in a material (the number of protons in each
atom’s nucleus, determining its chemical identity) and how the atoms are linked together with
one another. Materials with high electron mobility (many free electrons) are called conductors,
while materials with low electron mobility (few or no free electrons) are called insulators.
The electrons of different types of atoms have different degrees of freedom to move around.With some types of materials, such as metals, the outermost electrons in the atoms are soloosely bound that they chaotically move in the space between the atoms of that material bynothing more than the influence of room-temperature heat energy. Because these virtually unboundelectrons are free to leave their respective atoms and float around in the space betweenadjacent atoms, they are often called free electrons.In other types of materials such as glass, the atoms’ electrons have very little freedom tomove around. While external forces such as physical rubbing can force some of these electronsto leave their respective atoms and transfer to the atoms of another material, they do not movebetween atoms within that material very easily.This relative mobility of electrons within a material is known as electric conductivity. Conductivityis determined by the types of atoms in a material (the number of protons in eachatom’s nucleus, determining its chemical identity) and how the atoms are linked together withone another. Materials with high electron mobility (many free electrons) are called conductors,while materials with low electron mobility (few or no free electrons) are called insulators.
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