4.1.5 Conduction of Electricity

Last updated at April 25, 2026 by

What is Conduction of Electricity?

It is the ability of materials to allow electricity to flow through them .

Key Facts and Examples
  • Good conductors allow electricity to flow easily .
Example: Aluminium foil, iron nails, copper wires make bulb glow
  • Poor conductors prevent electricity from flowing .
Example: Sulphur, coal, wood, rubber do not make bulb glow
  • Metals are generally good conductors of electricity .
Example: Electrical wires made of copper and aluminium
Electrical Conduction Electricity Flow Good Conductors (Metals) Poor Conductors (Non-metals) Bulb test Makes bulb glow Bulb does not glow Examples Copper, iron, aluminium Wood, rubber, plastic Electron flow Electrons move freely Electrons cannot move Uses Electrical wires Electrical insulators

Activity 4.4: Testing Electrical Conduction (Page 4)

What you need:

  • Electric circuit (tester)
  • Piece of aluminium foil
  • Iron nail
  • Lump of sulphur (pea-sized)
  • Copper wire
  • Piece of coal
  • Piece of dry wood
  • Stone
  • Eraser made of rubber
  • Piece of nylon rope

What to do:

  • Step 1: Design an electric circuit like tester circuit
  • Step 2: Collect all the objects listed
  • Step 3: Predict which objects will make bulb glow
  • Step 4: Test each object in the circuit
  • Step 5: Record observations in Table 4.2

Observations

What you see:

Material Bulb Glows Conductor Type
Aluminium foil Yes Good conductor
Iron nail Yes Good conductor
Copper wire Yes Good conductor
Sulphur No Poor conductor
Coal No Poor conductor
Dry wood No Poor conductor
Stone No Poor conductor
Rubber eraser No Poor conductor
Nylon rope No Poor conductor

Why this happens:
We have studied that metals are good electrical conductors . This is why metal objects make bulb glow while non-metals do not .

  • Metal atoms have free electrons for current flow
  • Non-metal atoms have bound electrons that cannot move
Electrical Conductivity Test Bulb Glows (Conductors) Bulb Dark (Insulators) Aluminium foil - bright glow Sulphur - no glow Iron nail - good glow Wood - no current Copper wire - excellent glow Rubber - blocks electricity

Section Summary: Properties of Materials

Properties of Materials Summary Malleability Beaten into thin sheets Ductility Drawn into wires Sonority Produce ringing sounds Heat Conduction Transfer heat energy Electrical Conduction Allow current flow
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