Classification of Materials in Terms of Resistivity | Conductors, Insulators and Semiconductors

Опубликовано: 17 Ноябрь 2024
на канале: Physics4students

7,302

The resistivity of a material is the characteristic of that particular material. The materials can be broadly classified into conductors and insulators. The metals and alloys which have low resistivity of the order of 10 raise to minus 6 to 10 raise to minus 8 ohm meter are good conductors of electricity. They carry current without appreciable loss of energy.
Example : silver, aluminium, copper, iron, tungsten, nichrome, manganin, constantan.

Insulators are substances which have very high resistivity of the order of 10 raise to 8 to 10 raise to 14 ohm metre. They offer very high resistance to the flow of current and are termed non−conductors.
Example : glass, mica, amber, quartz, wood, teflon, bakelite.

In between these two classes of materials lie the semiconductors. They are partially conducting. The resistivity of semiconductor is 10 raise to 2 to 10 raise to 4 ohm metre.
Example : germanium, silicon.