Making an insulator become a conductor?

AI Thread Summary
Moving an insulator like plastic into a strong magnetic field could theoretically free its valence electrons, potentially allowing it to conduct electricity. However, this phenomenon is known as "dielectric breakdown," where sufficient voltage can cause any material to conduct. While insulators resist electrical flow, under extreme conditions, they can behave like conductors. Essentially, all materials can conduct electricity to some degree if enough energy is applied. Thus, while insulators and conductors are distinct, they exist on a spectrum of conductivity.
mino206
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Good afternoon(or good morning,it depends on where you are :zzz:),this is my first topic in this great forum so don't be very tough with me okay?
My question concerns the means of producing electricity and to be more precise:Electromagnetism.
I read that if you move a conductor(such as copper for example)into a magnetic field,the valence electrons of its atoms will move out of their atoms(will be "freed")because of the energie provided by this magnetic field.
So I was wondering:What if we move an insulator this time(plastic for example)into a huge and very strong magnetic field,strong enough to provide the needed energie for all the valence electrons in order to be freed.Does this mean that the plastic has become a conductor?
Best Rigards,
mino206
 
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Insulator and conductor are just two ends of the scale.
Everything is a conductor to some extent - if you grab hold of a powerline you would conduct!
 
In other words, yes, if you put enough voltage to just about anything, its electrons will move.
 
This is often called "dielectric breakdown".
 
So I know that electrons are fundamental, there's no 'material' that makes them up, it's like talking about a colour itself rather than a car or a flower. Now protons and neutrons and quarks and whatever other stuff is there fundamentally, I want someone to kind of teach me these, I have a lot of questions that books might not give the answer in the way I understand. Thanks
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