alleryStart learning →Conductors differ from insulators chiefly because their electrons are:
AFewer in total number
BPositive rather than negative
CNot bound to single atoms
DHeavier than normal ones
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Not bound to single atoms
1. The difference between the two classes is about mobility of charge.
2. Insulators are materials that do not allow electric charge to escape outward.
3. Some of the electrons in metals and similar conductors behave differently.
4. They are not bound to individual atoms or sites in the material.
5. That freedom to move is what makes a material conduct.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics for AP Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 18 'Electric Charge and Electric Field', sections 18.1-18.8_
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