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Difficulty: EasyConductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

An electronics technician is sorting materials for a repair job based on their electrical properties. Arrange the following materials in order from the highest electrical conductivity (best conductor) to the lowest electrical conductivity (best insulator).

  1. 1Copper
  2. 2Germanium
  3. 3Rubber

Answer

Copper, Germanium, Rubber
Metals like copper have a high concentration of free electrons, making them excellent conductors. Group IV elements such as germanium act as semiconductors with intermediate conductivity. Non-metallic compounds like rubber hold their electrons tightly in covalent structures, acting as insulators with the lowest conductivity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conductor among the materials
Copper is identified as a conductor with high electrical conductivity.
Conductors have loosely bound valence electrons that move freely under an applied voltage.
2
Identify the semiconductor among the materials
Germanium is identified as a semiconductor with moderate electrical conductivity.
Semiconductors have four valence electrons and exhibit conductivity between conductors and insulators.
3
Identify the insulator among the materials
Rubber is identified as an insulator with extremely low electrical conductivity.
Insulators hold valence electrons tightly, offering very high resistance to current flow.
4
Sequence the materials from highest to lowest electrical conductivity
Copper (conductor) →\rightarrow Germanium (semiconductor) →\rightarrow Rubber (insulator)
The ranking follows the natural continuum of charge carrier availability in solids.

Key Concept

Classification and relative electrical conductivity of conductors, semiconductors, and insulators.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

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