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Difficulty: MediumConductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

During the assembly of an avionics chassis, a technician handles components made of various substances selected for their specific electrical transport properties. Arrange the following materials in order of their electrical resistivity at room temperature, from lowest resistivity (best conductor) to highest resistivity (best insulator).

  1. 1Gold contact plating
  2. 2Intrinsic germanium crystal
  3. 3Porcelain standoff bushing

Answer

Gold contact plating, followed by Intrinsic germanium crystal, followed by Porcelain standoff bushing
Gold contact plating is a metal with high electron mobility and the lowest resistivity. Intrinsic germanium is a semiconductor containing four valence electrons, providing an intermediate resistivity between conductors and non-conductors. Porcelain is a ceramic insulator whose valence electrons are tightly locked in ionic/covalent bonds, giving it the highest resistivity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Classify each material according to its electrical conduction group (conductor, semiconductor, or insulator).
Gold is a conductor, germanium is a semiconductor, and porcelain is an insulator.
Electrical resistivity directly corresponds to how tightly a material's atomic structure holds its valence electrons.
2
Compare the relative electrical resistivities of the three material classifications.
Conductors have the lowest resistivity, semiconductors have moderate/intermediate resistivity, and insulators have the highest resistivity.
Resistivity is the inverse of conductivity; materials with abundant free electrons oppose current flow the least.
3
Sequence the items from lowest resistivity to highest resistivity.
Gold contact plating →\rightarrow Intrinsic germanium crystal →\rightarrow Porcelain standoff bushing.
Matching the classified items to the required ordering sequence satisfies the question criteria.

Key Concept

Classification of materials by electrical resistivity and atomic valence properties (conductors vs. semiconductors vs. insulators)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

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