Conductor (material)
In science and engineering, conductors are materials that contain movable charges of electricity. When an electric potential difference is impressed at separate points on a conductor, an electric current appears in accordance with Ohm's law. While many conductors are metallic, there are many non-metallic conductors as well. See electrical conduction for more information on the physical mechanism for charge flow in materials.
Under normal conditions, all materials offer some resistance to flowing charges, which generates heat. The motion of charges also creates an electromagnetic field around the conductor that exerts a mechanical force on the conductor. Consequently, a conductor of a given material and volume (length x cross-sectional area) has a limit to the current it can carry without being destroyed thermally or mechanically. This effect is especially critical in printed circuits, where conductors are relatively small. See design guidelines: http://www.eese.bee.qut.edu.au/students/pcb/Conductor_Thickness_and_Width.jpg (graph).
A special case of a conductor is the superconductor, a conductor that does not offer any resistance to its flowing electrons at all. Unfortunately, superconductors do not work at room temperature - the best superconductors today have a critical temperature of around 138K, or about halfway between absolute zero and room temperature.
See conductor article for other meanings of conductor.
Referenced By
Amperage | Anode and cathode | Antenna (electronics) | Antenna theory | Ark of the Covenant | Biconical antenna | Cathode | Cathode ray | Cerenkov effect | Cerenkov radiation | Cherenkov effect | Cherenkov radiation | Coinage Metals | Coinage metal | Conductivity | Corona | Current (electricity) | Degeneracy pressure | Degenerate matter | Diffusion | Electric conductance | Electric force | Electrical | Electrical conductance | Electrical conductivity | Electrical element | Electricity | Electricity and magnetism | Electricity distribution | Electrode | Electromagnetic | Electromagnetic force | Electromagnetic induction | Electromagnetism | Electronic paper | Element | Faraday cage | Graphite | Group 11 | Group 11 element | HVDC | Inductor | Insulator | Joseph Stefan | Lifter | Magnetic induction | Metal | Metallic element | Metallic hydrogen | Metalloid | Metals | Microelectronics | Noble metal | Open system (system theory) | Organic electronics | Potential difference | Power transmission | RF shielding | Radio antenna | Resistor | Semi-Conductors | Semiconductor | Shot noise | SketchOfDirectOnLineMotorStarter | Skin effect | Spark gap | Tesla coil | TestingEarthFaultResistance | Testing earth fault resistance | Transistor | Variable resistor
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