Understanding Conductors and Insulators

Which of the following is a good conductor of electricity?

• Plastic

• Copper

• Wood

• Glass

Which material is commonly used as an insulator in electric wires?

• Rubber

• Silver

• Iron

• Aluminum

What is the main property of conductors that makes them useful in electrical circuits?

• They allow electricity to flow easily.

• They are always shiny.

• They are very heavy.

• They do not melt.

Which of the following is NOT an example of an insulator?

• Glass

• Wood

• Silver

• Plastic

If you have a metal spoon and a wooden spoon, which one would you use to stir a pot of hot soup if you want to avoid getting burned? Why?

• Metal spoon, because it is a conductor.

• Wooden spoon, because it is an insulator.

• Metal spoon, because it is an insulator.

• Wooden spoon, because it is a conductor.

A student wraps a wire around a nail and connects it to a battery. The nail becomes magnetic. Which property of the wire allows this to happen?

• The wire is an insulator.

• The wire is a conductor.

• The wire is flexible.

• The wire is heavy.

A student is testing different materials to see which one conducts electricity. She finds that a paperclip, a coin, and a piece of aluminum foil all allow electricity to flow, but a rubber band does not. What can she conclude about the rubber band?

• It is a conductor.

• It is an insulator.

• It is magnetic.

• It is heavy.

Imagine you are building a simple circuit with a battery, a light bulb, and a wire. If you replace the wire with a piece of plastic, what will happen to the light bulb? Explain your answer.

• The light bulb will light up because plastic is a conductor.

• The light bulb will not light up because plastic is an insulator.

• The light bulb will light up because plastic is magnetic.

• The light bulb will not light up because plastic is heavy.

You are given four objects: a glass cup, a steel fork, a rubber eraser, and a gold ring. You need to choose one to complete an electric circuit so a bulb lights up. Which object should you choose and why?

• Glass cup, because glass is a conductor.

• Steel fork, because metal conducts electricity.

• Rubber eraser, because rubber is a conductor.

• Gold ring, because gold is an insulator.

Carbon ​ (a)  

Copper​ ​ (b)  

Glass​ ​ (c)  

Plastic​ (d)  

Steel​ (e)  

• Conductor

• Insulator

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-3