1 All materials can conduct electricity but in different ways.
2 Electrons travel only in specific bands (tracks).
3 Conductors are atoms with a full outside track which is far from the next empty track.
4 In superconductors electrons repel each other instead of attraction.
5 Superconductors have no resistance to electronic current at very high temperature.
6 In the atom, the electrons crowd down as far from the nucleus as possible.
Match the words on the right to the words on the left.
| 1quantum 2jolt of 3to conduct 4to carry 5electron 6outermost 7flash of 8room | Aband Btemperature Cphysics Dtrack Elight Fcurrent Gelectricity Henergy |
Make up sentences including these word combinations and ask your partner to translate them.
Complete the following word-building table.
| Noun | Verb | Adjective |
| conduction | ||
| to move | ||
| track | ||
| specific | ||
| to repel | ||
| insulating | ||
| to arrange | ||
| attraction | ||
| energetic | ||
| resistance |
Fill in the gaps with the suitable words from the table above.
1 of electrons in the bands defines whether a material made of those atoms will conduct.
2 In atom where the next track is close by, an electron will have no problem jumping up a .
3 In superconductors, the electrons achieve almost an for each other.
4 Some materials such as plastics do not electricity.
5 There are materials which conduct electricity without any .
Match the terms with their definitions.
| 1conductors 2semiconductors 3insulators 4superconductors | Aatoms with a full outside track which is far from the next empty track Batoms which, at the right temperature, can make electrons attract instead of repel each other Catoms with empty spaces in the outermost electron bands Datoms with a full outside track which is very close to the next empty track |
9 
Speaking task. Speak on the classification of materials according to their conducting properties. While speaking use the following expressions.
At first
Initially
To start with
Secondly, thirdly, etc
Then
Later (on)
Afterwards
Subsequently
At this point or stage
During this time
Meanwhile
Eventually
In time
Ultimately
10 Speaking task. Work in pairs. Ask your partners to compare:
- Conductors and superconductors
- Semiconductors and insulators
Text II
1 
Work in pairs. List as many examples of common conductors and insulators as you can.
Using your own knowledge of electricity contrast the characteristics of conductors and insulators.
3 
Read the text to check your answers.
Conductors and Insulators
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Figure 1.Conductor and Insulators
In a conductor, electric current can flow freely, in an insulator it cannot. Metals such as copper typify conductors, while most non-metallic solids are said to be good insulators, having extremely high resistance to the flow of charge through them. "Conductor" implies that the outer electrons of the atoms are loosely bound and free to move through the material. Most atoms hold on to their electrons tightly and are insulators. In copper, the valence electrons are essentially free and strongly repel each other. Any external influence which moves one of them will cause a repulsion of other electrons which propagates through the conductor.
Simply stated, most metals are good electrical conductors, most nonmetals are not. Copper is just one of the most popular materials that is used for conductors. Other materials that are sometimes used as conductors are silver, gold and aluminium.
Copper is still the most popular material used for wires because it is a very good conductor of electrical current and it is fairly inexpensive when compared to gold and silver. Aluminium and most other metals do not conduct electricity quite as good as copper. Some common insulator materials are glass, plastics, rubber, air and wood. Insulators are used to protect us from dangerous effects of electricity flowing through conductors.
