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Science 10
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
Electrical Conductivity
Science – Grade 10
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 2: Electrical Conductivity
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Charlene N. Guinto
Editor: Aiisa C. Corpuz, PhD
Reviewer: Lily Beth B. Mallari
Illustrator: Charlene N. Guinto
Layout Artist: Charlene N. Guinto
Management Team: Maria Carmen P. Cuenco, EdD, CESO V
Lourdes G. Dela Cruz, PhD
Robert E. Osongco,EdD
Lily Beth B. Mallari
Aiisa C. Corpuz, PhD
Rebecca K. Sotto,PhD

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BASIC
ELECTRONICS
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to Basic electronics 10 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on

Electrical Conductivity!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Science 10 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Basic

Electronics!

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

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 Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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 What I Need to Know

Electrical conductivity is one of the most important properties of materials in

electronic devices. The materials are divided into metals, ceramics, polymers,
composites, and semiconductors. The mechanism of electrical conductivity in these
materials differs from each other. These differences are related to the width of Fermi
level. The metals have free electrons and very narrow band gap and crystalline
ceramics contain ionic and covalence bonds with moderate bandwidth. The polymers
do not possess any free electrons with a high bandwidth. These differences provide
different mechanisms for electrical conductivity that have been described in this
module.

The module is divided into three lessons, namely:

 Lesson 1 – What are insulators, conductors and semiconductors?
 Lesson 2 – Characteristics of insulators and conductor
 Lesson 3 – Uses of insulators and conductors

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Define the following terms:

a. insulator
b. conductor
c. semiconductor
2. Compare and contrast the characteristics of insulators and conductors

3. Categorize materials into insulator or conductor group

4. Explain the importance of insulators and conductors

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 What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer.

1. Which is an example of a conductor?

a. Wood
b. Metal
c. Rubber
d. Rock
2. What type of materials are resistant to the flow of electricity?
a. Voltages
b. Insulator
c. Current
d. Conductor
3. What type of materials allow electricity to flow freely?
a. Semiconductor
b. Insulator
c. Current
d. Conductor
4. Which of the following is an example of an insulator?
a. Wooden block
b. Nail
c. Penny
d. paper clip
5. Materials which can conduct electricity better than insulator, but not as well as
conductors. This is the definition of
a. Semiconductor
b. Conductor
c. Insulator
d. Superconductor

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6. Which of these groups contains items that could all conduct electricity to
complete the circuit?
a. Rubber, ball, plastic comb, nail
b. Paper clip, penny, screw
c. Cork, dollar bill, tweezers
d. Pencil, eraser, spoon
7. The handles of our cooking utensils at home are usually made of rubber or hand
plastics that do not allow heat to pass through them. These materials
a. have high resistance.
b. are conductors.
c. are both a and b.
d. are neither a or b.
8. Which of the following materials does not belongs to the group?
a. Rubber slippers
b. Ceramic plate
c. Aluminum frying pan
d. Electrical tape
9. Which of the following is not a conductor?
a. Water
b. Oil
c. Lemon juice
d. Sea water
10. What type of particle flows through an electric current?
a. Proton
b. Neutron
c. Electron
d. Electricity

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 Lesson

1 Electrical Conductivity

Electrical conductivity is a measurement of how easily a material allows

electric current to flow through it. Inversely, electrical resistivity measures how
strongly a material resists the flow of electric current. The two properties are exact
inverses of each other. Electrical conductivity is denoted by the Greek letter σ and
electrical resistivity is denoted by the Greek letter ρ.
Materials are often selected or discarded for applications due to their electrical
conductivity when the passage of electrical current is crucial to the functionality of
their application. Metals are generally the best conductors of electricity while
polymers are the least conductors of electricity. Silver is the best conductor of
electricity but it is rarely used for this function due to its scarcity and resultant
prohibitive cost.

What’s In

How many of you have experienced a feeling of electric shock while opening the
door of your car? Or while coming in contact with a household appliance? Well, wasn’t
that a scary experience? But why does that happen? Also, why don’t we get a similar
experience when we hold wooden materials? It is because wood is an insulator while
metal is a conductor. When we come in contact with a conductor, there occurs a flow
of electrons from one body to another. This is the reason we experience shock. Shock
is basically a mini feeling of current passing through the body. Let us learn more about
conductors and insulators.

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 Notes to the Teacher
Electrical conductivity is the measure of the amount of
electrical current a material can carry or it's ability to carry a
current. Electrical conductivity is also known as specific
conductance. Conductivity is an intrinsic property of a material.
Metals and plasma are examples of materials with high
electrical conductivity. The element that is the best electrical
conductor is silver -- a metal. Electrical insulators, such as glass
and pure water, have poor electrical conductivity. Most of the
nonmetals on the periodic table are poor electrical and thermal
conductors. The conductivity of semiconductors is intermediate
between that of an insulator and a conductor.

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 What’s New

1. What happens when an insulator is placed in a circuit?

_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. What happens when a conductor is placed in a circuit?

_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. What is a semiconductor?
_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

4. What is the difference between conductors and insulators?

_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

5. What property do you think allows current to flow through conductors but not in
insulators?
_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 What is It

What is a Conductor?
A conductor is a type of material that allows the flow of charge otherwise
known as electrical current. Most common electrical conductors are made from
metals.

The most effective Other strong conductors include:

electrical conductors are:
Silver Platinum
Gold Brass
Copper Bronze
Aluminum Graphite
Mercury Dirty water
Steel Lemon juice
Iron
Seawater
Concrete
Mercury

What is Semiconductor?
Semiconductors are materials that have conductivity in-between conductors
and insulators. They can block or allow the current flow providing total control over
it. They are mostly modified by adding impurities called doping.

Examples of semiconductors are:

silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and elements near the so-called "metalloid
staircase" on the periodic table.

What is Insulator?
An insulator is a material that has very high electrical resistance & it does not
allow the flow of current. There are no free electrons in insulators thus they do not
conduct electricity.

The most effective electrical Other strong insulators include:

insulators are:
Rubber Fiberglass
Glass Dry paper
Pure water Porcelain
Oil Ceramics
Air Quartz
Diamond
Dry wood
Dry cotton
Plastic
Asphalt

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 What’s More

I. Predict whether each item is made from a material that is a conductor, insulator or
semiconductor.
___________1. Copper ___________11. Mica

___________2. Human Body ___________12. Silver

___________3. Dry Air ___________13. Cotton

___________4. Marble ___________14. Moist Air

___________5. Glass ___________15. Rubber

___________6. Ebonite ___________16. Aluminum

___________7. Germanium ___________17. Water

___________8. Charcoal ___________18. Paper

___________9. Wool ___________19. Sand

___________10. Wood ___________20. Acids

II. Answer the following.

1. Why are electrical plugs are made up of plastic?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Explain why it is difficult for current to flow through an insulator.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Why are metals useful for making electrical wire?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

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 What I Have Learned

 Electrical conductivity is a measurement of how easily a material allows electric

current to flow through it.

 Conductors are materials that permit electrons to flow freely from particle to
particle.

 An object made of a conducting material will permit charge to be transferred

across the entire surface of the object.

 Metals such as copper typify conductors, while most non-metallic solids are said
to be insulators.

 An insulator is a material that does not conduct electrical current. Insulating

materials include paper, plastic, rubber, glass and air.

 Insulators are used to protect us from the dangerous effects of electricity flowing
through conductors.

 A semiconductor is a physical substance that is designed to manage and control

the flow of current in electronic devices and equipment. It neither allows a freely
flowing electric current nor repels it completely.

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 What I Can Do

I. Identify objects that can be found in your kitchen that you think are conductors or
insulators and identify what materials they are made of.
Ex. Insulator: Disposable spoon - plastic
Conductor Insulators

II. Answer the following.

1. Which materials are likely to exhibit more insulating properties than conductive
properties? Explain your answers.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

2. What metal is the most commonly used conductor in electronic wiring and electronic
circuits? Why?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

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 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Which of these could be used to complete an electrical circuit?

a. A piece of gravel
b. A rubber
c. A crayon
d. A pair of scissors
2. Something that electricity can’t move through is called a(n) ___________
a. Conductor
b. Wire
c. Semiconductor
d. Insulator
3. What is NOT an example of an insulator in the kitchen?
a. An Oven mitt
b. Pots and Pans
c. A wooden spoon
d. A plastic measuring cup
4. A conductor differs from an insulator in that a conductor ________.
a. has an excess of protons and electrons
b. can become charged and an insulator cannot
c. does not have any neutrons to get in the way of electron flow
d. none of these
5. In conductors, electrons can flow because their
a. ions are free
b. protons are free
c. electrons are free
d. negative ions are free

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The electrician is wearing rubber gloves for protection. The purpose of the rubber
gloves is to -
a. Keep the electrician dry
b. Create an electrical circuit
c. Produce electricity
d. Insulate the electrician
6. What material would be safest to use as an insulator to cover electrical wire?
a. Aluminum
b. Tin
c. Rubber
d. Water
7. Copper wire is often wrapped in plastic. Plastic material is a good -
a. Electromagnet
b. Insulator
c. Circuit
d. Current
8. Which substances conducts electricity the best?
a. Wood
b. Brick
c. Copper
d. Plastic
9. Many electrical wires are wrapped with a plastic coating because plastic is -
a. Less expensive than steel
b. More dense than copper
c. Able to keep its shape
d. A good insulator

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 Additional Activities

Answer the following

What is the difference between materials classified as conductors versus those

classified as insulators, in the electrical sense of these words?
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Identify several substances that are good conductors of electricity, and several
substances that are good insulators of electricity.
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

What naturally occurring substance is the best conductor of electricity?

___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Is water a conductor or an insulator? Why would it be dangerous to be wet or

standing in water when working with electricity?
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

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 20
Assessment What's More What I know
1. D 1. Conductor 1. B
2. D 2. Conductor 2. B
3. B 3. Insulator 3. D
4. D 4. Semiconductor 4. A
5. C 5. Insulator 5. A
6. D 6. Insulator 6. B
7. C 7. Semiconductor 7. A
8. B 8. Conductor 8. C
9. C 9. Semiconductor 9. B
10.D 10.Insulator 10.C
11.Insulator
12.Conductor
13. Semiconductor
14. Semiconductor
15.Insulator
16.Conductor
17.Conductor
18.Semiconductor
19.Semiconductor
20. Conductor
Answer Key
References
1. Bitesize.What are Conductors and Insulators Accessed August 4, 2020;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z2882hv/articles/zxv482p
2. Hyperphysics. Conductors and Insulators Accessed August 6, 2020;
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/conins.html
3. Magcraft. Conductors and Insulators Accessed August 3, 2020;
https://www.magcraft.com/conductors-and-insulators
4. Matmactch. Electrical conductivity Accessed August 3, 2020;
https://matmatch.com/learn/property/electrical-conductivity
5. Science Direct.Electrical conductivity Accessed August 3, 2020;
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/electrical conductivity
6. Sciencing.Electrical Conductivity Accessed August 4, 2020;
https://sciencing.com/test-electrical-conductivity-5183607.html
7. Solpass. Electricity Released PDF Accessed August 5, 2020;
https://www.solpass.org/science4-5/energy/print/4-3electricity-
released.pdf?section=study-9
8. Study.com. Electrical Conductivity Accessed August 4, 2020;
https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-electrical-
conductivity.html
9. ThoughtCo. Definition of electrical Cnductivity Accessed August 5, 2020;
https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-electrical-conductivity-605064
10. ThoughtCo. Examples of Electrical conductors and Insulators Accessed August
3, 2020; https://www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-electrical-conductors-and-
insulators-608315
11. Toppr. Conductors and Insulators Accessed August 3, 2020;
https://www.toppr.com/guides/physics/electric-charges-and
fields/conductors-and-insulators/

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