What Are Conductors

A conductor is a material that lets electric current flow through it easily. Electric current is the movement of electricity from one place to another. Conductors are important because they help electricity travel from where it is made to where we need it.

Most metals are good conductors. Metals are materials like copper, aluminum, and iron. These metals allow electricity to move through them very well. That is why electrical wires are made of metal, usually copper. When you plug in a lamp or charge a phone, electricity flows through metal wires inside the cord.

Copper is one of the best conductors. It is used in most electrical wires in homes, schools, and buildings. Aluminum is also a good conductor and is sometimes used in power lines that carry electricity long distances. Iron can conduct electricity too, but not as well as copper or aluminum.

Think of a conductor like a smooth slide on a playground. Just as a slide lets you move down quickly and easily, a conductor lets electricity move through it quickly and easily. Materials that do not let electricity flow through them easily are called insulators. Rubber and plastic are insulators. That is why the outside of electrical cords is covered with plastic—it keeps the electricity safely inside the metal wire.