Figure 1
Different types of atoms hold onto their electrons more or less tightly. With some types of materials, such as metals, the outermost electrons in the atoms are so loosely bound that they chaotically move in the space between the atoms of that material influenced by nothing more than room-temperature heat energy. Because these virtually unbound electrons are free to leave their respective atoms and float around in the space between adjacent atoms, they are often called free electrons. In other types of materials such as glass, the atoms' electrons have very little freedom to move around. While external forces such as physical rubbing can force some of these electrons to leave their respective atoms and transfer to the atoms of another material, they do not move between atoms within that material very easily. This relative mobility of electrons within a material is known as electric conductivity. Conductivity is determined by the types of atoms in a material (the number of protons in each atom's nucleus, determining its chemical identity) and how the atoms are linked together with one another. Materials with high electron mobility (many free electrons) are called conductors, while materials with low electron mobility (few or no free electrons) are called insulators. Here are a few common examples of conductors and insulators: Conductors: Silver, Copper, Gold, Aluminum, Iron, Steel, Brass, Bronze, Mercury, Graphite, Dirty water, Concrete Insulators: Glass, Rubber, Oil, Asphalt, Fiberglass, Porcelain, Ceramic, Quartz, (Dry) cotton, (Dry) paper, (Dry) wood, Plastic, Air, Diamond, Pure water It must be understood that not all conductive materials have the same level of conductivity, and not all insulators are equally resistant to electron motion.
For instance, silver is the best conductor in the conductors list, offering easier passage for electrons than any other material cited. Dirty water and concrete are also listed as conductors, but these materials are substantially less conductive than any metal. In this activity we will classify several materials as conductors or insulators by studying the mobility of free charges in the materials.
einstein™Tablet+ with MiLAB or Android /iOS Tablet with MiLAB and einstein™LabMate Electrostatic Charge sensor Test leads with BNC connector PVC strip or pipe A piece of woolen cloth Beaker Tape Variety of rods and strips of different materials such as metals, graphite, plastic, wood, paper and others
1.
Launch MiLAB (
).
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Connect the Electrostatic Charge sensor to one of the ports on the einstein™Tablet or einstein™LabMate. Connect the test leads to the Electrostatic Charge sensor. Assemble the equipment as shown in Figure 1. Tape one of your materials on an inverted beaker (see Figure 1). Connect the red lead of the Electrostatic Charge sensor to one end of the material to be tested. Make sure that only the Electrostatic Charge sensor is selected.
Program the sensors to log data according to the following setup: Electrostatic Charge sensor
Charge, 25 nC (nC)
Set As Zero
ON
Rate:
10/sec
Duration:
2 Min
1.
Short circuit the two leads of the Electrostatic charge sensor. To short circuit the sensor, connect the positive (red) and negative (black) leads.
2. 3.
Tap Run ( ) to begin recording data. Rub the PVC strip with the woolen cloth to charge it.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Touch the free end of the test material with the PVC strip. Observe the resulting graph. Will you classify the material as a conductor or as an insulator? Repeat steps ‎1 to ‎5 for each material. Based on your findings, prepare a list of conductive material and a list of insulating materials.