Difference between Conductors and Insulators
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Both "conductors" and "insulators" plays an important part in the field of electricity. So what exactly is the difference between them? Let's find out.
Conductors
Conductors are any type of materials that allows "electrical current" to flow-through them such as copper, silver, gold and other objects with metallic properties. And, it's not just any metallic materials but also other things like water and the living flesh.
Speaking about the "living-flesh", I have already seen a lot of stuntman who had successfully performed a deadly act playing with a powerful source of electricity. What they usually do is that, they will act as the conductor allowing the electric-current to pass-through their body and at the same, they will direct it into the ground. Without proper-grounding, the performer will instantly get burned with no chances of surviving.
One iconic magician and stuntman of our generation today is "David Blaine" who performed an electrifying stunt in the city of New York. His stunt involved being surrounded by 7 Tesla Coils while wearing a 27 pound chain-mail suit, wire helmet and a visor. Blaine was able to accomplish his deadly-stunt in which he remained on the podium for 72 hours unharmed.
How about water (H2O)?
Did you know that water or H2O is a far much better conductor than any objects with metallic properties? Some sources claims that when a certain person got electrocuted while in-contact with water, the electrical current induced into the victim is doubled. As a matter of fact, the majority of individuals who had accidentally died from electrocution were those people taking their bath during a really bad thunderstorm.
As for the metallic types of conductors, they are very common around your surroundings. Some common examples are wire cables, vehicles, railways and etc...
Insulators
"Non-Conductors" or insulators are the type of materials that is the "complete opposite" of the conductors. They have characteristic of resisting electrical current preventing it from pass-through them. Some common examples of insulators are ceramics, glasses and rubbers.
Common application of insulators is to protect anyone from making accidental contact to any powerful source of electricity. If you go outside your house and observe those long power-cable lines, you will notice that the wires are covered with thick insulator-rubber.
In addition to the rubber coating of the cable wires, you may also notice some strange objects connected from the tower (also called "Pylons"). If you can take a closer look into those objects, the wires are connected into them. Those objects are actually insulators made out of ceramic material. Their purpose is to prevent the electricity from travelling into the tower or post.
We already know for a fact that lightning are best attracted by metal and water (especially "Salty Water"). It's because they are the most highly-conducive(*) type of material here on the surface of the Earth. As a result, lightning tends to search the most conducive spot to strike down.
(*Conducive means, a material with the least resistance against electrical currents.)
Metal
All kinds of metals are good electrical conductors the reason why lightning is being attracted to them. In fact, there has already been countless number of lightning strike victims that got hit through the metal objects that they were wearing. Such objects includes belt-buckles, keys and jewelries.
Assuming that a certain individual is wearing a large belt-buckle but unfortunately, he suddenly got struck by a lightning. What will happen is that, the electrical current induced by the lightning will travel into the most conducive part of the victim's body. On this case, he is wearing a large belt-buckle. All current will be channeled into the belt-buckle causing it to get extremely hot (an average lightning bolt can reach around 30,000 Kelvin or 53, 540 Degrees Fahrenheit) . With such extreme temperature, the victim will suffer a serious burn.
Water (Salty Water)
When it comes to attracting lightning, the water especially "salty-water" from the sea or ocean tends to attract lightning a lot much better than any metals. It's because salt water is actually a better conducive type of element.
If it happens that you went out fishing into the sea but you got caught under an unexpected thunderstorm, your risk of being struck by lightning is very low. This is because most of the strikes are being attracted by the salty water which is by far much highly conducive than your boat.
Moreover, the main difference between conductors and insulators is their characteristic on how they influence an electric current to pass-through them. To sum it up, conductors allows electrical current to flow through them while insulators is simply the complete the opposite.
Conductors
Conductors are any type of materials that allows "electrical current" to flow-through them such as copper, silver, gold and other objects with metallic properties. And, it's not just any metallic materials but also other things like water and the living flesh.
Speaking about the "living-flesh", I have already seen a lot of stuntman who had successfully performed a deadly act playing with a powerful source of electricity. What they usually do is that, they will act as the conductor allowing the electric-current to pass-through their body and at the same, they will direct it into the ground. Without proper-grounding, the performer will instantly get burned with no chances of surviving.
One iconic magician and stuntman of our generation today is "David Blaine" who performed an electrifying stunt in the city of New York. His stunt involved being surrounded by 7 Tesla Coils while wearing a 27 pound chain-mail suit, wire helmet and a visor. Blaine was able to accomplish his deadly-stunt in which he remained on the podium for 72 hours unharmed.
How about water (H2O)?
Did you know that water or H2O is a far much better conductor than any objects with metallic properties? Some sources claims that when a certain person got electrocuted while in-contact with water, the electrical current induced into the victim is doubled. As a matter of fact, the majority of individuals who had accidentally died from electrocution were those people taking their bath during a really bad thunderstorm.
As for the metallic types of conductors, they are very common around your surroundings. Some common examples are wire cables, vehicles, railways and etc...
Insulators
"Non-Conductors" or insulators are the type of materials that is the "complete opposite" of the conductors. They have characteristic of resisting electrical current preventing it from pass-through them. Some common examples of insulators are ceramics, glasses and rubbers.
Common application of insulators is to protect anyone from making accidental contact to any powerful source of electricity. If you go outside your house and observe those long power-cable lines, you will notice that the wires are covered with thick insulator-rubber.
In addition to the rubber coating of the cable wires, you may also notice some strange objects connected from the tower (also called "Pylons"). If you can take a closer look into those objects, the wires are connected into them. Those objects are actually insulators made out of ceramic material. Their purpose is to prevent the electricity from travelling into the tower or post.
Lightning Attraction to Metal and Water
We already know for a fact that lightning are best attracted by metal and water (especially "Salty Water"). It's because they are the most highly-conducive(*) type of material here on the surface of the Earth. As a result, lightning tends to search the most conducive spot to strike down.
(*Conducive means, a material with the least resistance against electrical currents.)
Metal
All kinds of metals are good electrical conductors the reason why lightning is being attracted to them. In fact, there has already been countless number of lightning strike victims that got hit through the metal objects that they were wearing. Such objects includes belt-buckles, keys and jewelries.
Assuming that a certain individual is wearing a large belt-buckle but unfortunately, he suddenly got struck by a lightning. What will happen is that, the electrical current induced by the lightning will travel into the most conducive part of the victim's body. On this case, he is wearing a large belt-buckle. All current will be channeled into the belt-buckle causing it to get extremely hot (an average lightning bolt can reach around 30,000 Kelvin or 53, 540 Degrees Fahrenheit) . With such extreme temperature, the victim will suffer a serious burn.
Water (Salty Water)
When it comes to attracting lightning, the water especially "salty-water" from the sea or ocean tends to attract lightning a lot much better than any metals. It's because salt water is actually a better conducive type of element.
If it happens that you went out fishing into the sea but you got caught under an unexpected thunderstorm, your risk of being struck by lightning is very low. This is because most of the strikes are being attracted by the salty water which is by far much highly conducive than your boat.
Moreover, the main difference between conductors and insulators is their characteristic on how they influence an electric current to pass-through them. To sum it up, conductors allows electrical current to flow through them while insulators is simply the complete the opposite.
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