Electrical conductivity
What Electrical conductivity means in Combined Science GCSE, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Electrical conductivity
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Reference: AQA
Poor in simple molecular substances because they have no overall electric charge and lack mobile charged particles, not because of weak forces.
Delocalised electrons carry negative charge through the metal when a potential difference is applied, giving high electrical conductivity.
Conduction that occurs because charged particles can move, as in graphite where delocalised electrons carry charge through the structure.
Giant covalent substances such as diamond and silicon dioxide do not conduct electricity because they contain no free electrons or ions.
Graphite conducts electricity along its layers because the delocalised electrons are free to move within the layer.
Topics that use Electrical conductivity
- Covalent bonding (AQA GCSE)
- Graphite (AQA GCSE)
- Metals as conductors (AQA GCSE)
- Properties of small molecules (AQA GCSE)
Related terms
- Giant covalent structures
- Structure and bonding
- Structure-property relationships
- Ball and stick models
- Comparison of graphite and metals
- Counting atoms in models
- Covalent bonding as shared pairs of electrons
- Covalent bonds
Using Electrical conductivity in the exam
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