Electrical Conduction through

Electrical conduction is how electricity flows through materials. Think of it like water flowing through a pipe. In metals like copper and aluminium, electrons move freely between atoms, making them excellent conductors. These free electrons are the charge carriers that transport electrical energy from one point to another.

In Nigeria, the copper wires used in our household electrical installations conduct electricity efficiently because copper atoms release electrons easily. Unlike metals, materials called insulators like rubber and plastic have electrons tightly bound to atoms, so electricity cannot flow through them easily.

The ability of a material to conduct electricity depends on how many free electrons it has available. When you connect a wire to a battery, the electric field pushes these electrons, creating current flow. Different materials have different conductivities—this is measured as electrical resistance or resistivity.