ELECTRICITY 4

CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

4. CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

• Most of our houses, schools and other offices have

electricity.
• There are wires hidden in the walls to carry electricity to
where it is needed.
• These wires are made of metal (copper) to carry electricity.
• The metal copper is covered with plastic so that we do not
get an electric shock if we touch the wires.
• The metals like copper are called conductors
because they allow electricity to flow through
them.
• Plastic and other non-metals are called
insulators because they do not allow electricity to
flow through them.
Activity
Connect the circuit shown to test whether the
following materials are conductors or insulators.
Materials : Aluminium foil, plastic pen, iron nail
and wooden pencil

If the lamp lights up, the material is a conductor.

CURRENT ELECTRICITY
Electricity makes a lamp light up. The lamp
lights up because there is an electric current in
the circuit.
Two things are needed for an electric current to
occur.
• A complete circuit of metal around which the
current can flow.
• A cell or a battery (a source of electricity) to
make the current to flow.
Look at this simple circuit.
• A switch breaks a circuit to stop the current
flowing.
CIRCUIT SYMBOLS

• It is very easy for the scientists to draw

circuits using circuit symbols.
• Here is the circuit diagram of the above
circuit using circuit symbols.
Here are some of the most common circuit symbols.
Summary

• Metals are good conductors of electricity.

• Non-metals are usually insulators.
• A complete circuit is needed for a current to
flow.
• Circuit symbols are used by scientists to draw
circuit diagrams.
Questions
1.

Name each of the components A to D.

Answers
1. A – cell
B – lamp
C – switch, open
D – closed switch