Why do conductors have a sea of electrons while insulators don't?

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SUMMARY

Conductors possess a "sea of free charges" due to metallic bonding, which allows electrons to be shared among atoms, enabling them to move freely throughout the material. This phenomenon occurs because conductors already contain free electrons that do not require additional thermal energy to become mobile. In contrast, insulators lack this free electron mobility, as their atomic structure does not facilitate the same level of electron sharing. Understanding these differences is crucial for grasping the fundamental principles of electrical conductivity.

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  • Understanding of metallic bonding
  • Knowledge of electrical conductivity principles
  • Familiarity with atomic structure and electron behavior
  • Basic concepts of thermal energy and its effects on materials
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Metallic bonding" for a deeper understanding of electron sharing
  • Explore "Electrical conductivity in materials" to compare conductors and insulators
  • Study "Thermal energy effects on electron mobility" to understand energy absorption
  • Investigate "Quantum mechanics of electrons in solids" for advanced insights
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Students of physics, electrical engineers, materials scientists, and anyone interested in the principles of electrical conductivity and material properties.

shihab-kol
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Why is a sea of electrons present in a conductor?
I read some where that they absorb a energy at normal temperatures and use it to get free electrons , but then why do they absorb energy while insulators don't??
 
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In metallic conductors the atoms bond together in a particular way that results in one or more electrons being shared completely between the atoms. The behavior of huge numbers of these electrons in a metal can be described as a "sea of free charges", meaning that they are free to roam around the entire conductor at will.

shihab-kol said:
I read some where that they absorb a energy at normal temperatures and use it to get free electrons , but then why do they absorb energy while insulators don't??

Conductors already have free electrons and don't need thermal energy to free the electrons from their atoms.
 
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Ok.
What do you mean by "being shared completely"? How do they roam around then?PS
How do you insert quotes?
 
shihab-kol said:
What do you mean by "being shared completely"? How do they roam around then?

Metallic bonding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_bonding

The sharing let's them move throughout the entire material freely. There's not much more I can say about that. See if the link above helps.

shihab-kol said:
How do you insert quotes?

Click "Reply" to quote the entire post. Highly text in a post and click "Reply" in the popup to quote that piece of text. Alternatively, you can click "Quote" instead to add that post or piece of text to a quote que. After adding text or posts to the quote que, you click "Insert Quotes" that appears in the bottom left of the reply box.
 
Thanks.
That helped and the quote part too!
 

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