Electron Flow Theory Part 2

What is a Conductor?

An element that allows electrons to flow freely

What all conductors have in common are:

One or more mobile valence electrons per atom are free to move from one atom to another

Each valence shell has:

More empty spots than electrons

What does an insulator have?

A valence shell that is more than half full or is completely full

Why does an insulator not conduct much electricity at all?

Because its electrons are tightly bound and will not leave their packed valence shells

What does Semiconductor have?

A valence shell that is exactly half full

A Semiconductor is neither a:

Good Conductor nor a Good Insulator, but has some remarkable properties that make it very useful for making electronic components

What is a convenient way of visualizing how electricity works?

To imagine the electrons as drops of water flowing through a pipe

Such a flow is due to:

Applied pressure on one end, forcing water the opposite way.

When a conductor is connected across the terminals of battery:

The negative terminal of the battery applies a repulsive pressure on the electrons and pushes them toward the positive terminal

What is a basic rule of electricity?

(Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other.)

The resulting flow of electrons through a conductor is:

An Electric Current