Insulators and Conductors

• Electric Circuit– Current provided by battery flows through wire,

into the light bulb, through another wire, and back to the battery.

• Current: flow of electrons

Insulators and Conductors

Conductor lets electrons flow

Insulator doesn’t let electrons flow

Electric lam

p

(glo

win

g)

Electric lam

p

(no

t glo

win

g)

Insulators and Conductors

Insulators hold electrons close like a dog on a leash

Conductors let electrons flow like dogs running free

Atom

Insulators let electrons flow like dogs running free

• Resistance: How much the material resists the flow of electrons

R = V / I• The higher the resistance, the slower the flow of

electrons, the smaller the power output

Resistance

R = ( x L) / A

R - Resistance - Density L - Length A -

Area

Higher Resistance

Lower Resistance

• Resistance: is like resistance to water flow in a hose. Larger diameter hose -less resistance, longer hose –more resistance

• Voltage like pressure, current like flow