Why silver beats copper
Some metals carry current better than others. How well a metal conducts depends on how many loose electrons fit in a space and how long each one goes before it bumps into an atom. You pick a metal and a temperature and look inside a small bar carrying current.
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What to try
- 1Start on Copper, then pick Silver. Fewer loose electrons fit in silver, but each one bumps about 26 trillion times a second instead of 40 trillion, so silver reads 106%.
- 2Pick Aluminum. Loose electrons per atom reads 3, but they bump more than three times as often as in copper, so aluminum reads only 63%.
- 3Pick Copper and set Temperature to 212 °F. The atoms shake harder, the electrons bump more often, and copper drops to 76%.
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More visuals
- What makes an insulatorRubber, glass, and air hold every outer electron in a bond. Raise the test voltage and see when the insulation breaks down.
- Inside an atomEverything is made of atoms. Count the protons in the center and the electrons around it, then take one electron away.
- Opposite charges attractTwo like charges push apart, and two opposite charges pull together. Bring the balls closer and the force gets stronger.