Making an insulator become a conductor?

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    Conductor Insulator
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of whether an insulator can be transformed into a conductor by subjecting it to a strong magnetic field. The inquiry specifically focuses on the behavior of valence electrons in materials like plastic when exposed to electromagnetic forces.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, mino206, questions if moving an insulator like plastic into a strong magnetic field could free its valence electrons, effectively turning it into a conductor.
  • Another participant suggests that insulators and conductors exist on a spectrum, implying that all materials can conduct electricity to some degree under certain conditions.
  • A further contribution states that applying sufficient voltage to any material can cause its electrons to move, hinting at the potential for insulators to conduct under extreme conditions.
  • One participant mentions the concept of "dielectric breakdown," which may relate to the conditions under which an insulator can conduct electricity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying views on the nature of insulators and conductors, with some suggesting that all materials can conduct under certain circumstances, while others focus on the specific conditions required for insulators to behave like conductors. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the feasibility of transforming insulators into conductors through magnetic fields.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not clarify the specific conditions or thresholds required for dielectric breakdown or the exact mechanisms by which valence electrons might be freed in insulators compared to conductors.

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".
 

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