Properties of Conducting Materials

Conducting  materials are those which can conduct large amount of heat and electricity. The conducting property of the solid is due to the presence of free electrons r valance electrons called as conduction electrons. Hence in metals the electrical conductivity depends on the number of free electrons. They possess the following outstanding properties.

1. High electrical and thermal conductivity.

2. They obey Ohm's law at steady state.

3. They obey Wiedemann-Franz law.

4. They exhibit the phenomenon of superconductivity.

5. There is no electric field inside a conductor.

6. Charges exist only on the surface of a conductor.

7. All points of a conductor are at the same potential.

The conducting materials play a vital role in the field of engineering and technology. While selecting the conducting materials for a particular application, we must know about its electrical and thermal properties.