John recently purchased a High Definition plasma television and needed to have it installed. The installers told John that for the best picture quality he should use cables with an all-copper core, rubber insulation, and 24k gold contacts. The electrical signal travels down the copper portion of the cable while the rubber insulates the cable from a loss of electrical current and heat. Which physical property explains the difference in ability of copper and rubber to transmit electricity?

Question

John recently purchased a High Definition plasma television and needed to have it installed. The installers told John that for the best picture quality he should use cables with an all-copper core, rubber insulation, and 24k gold contacts. The electrical signal travels down the copper portion of the cable while the rubber insulates the cable from a loss of electrical current and heat. Which physical property explains the difference in ability of copper and rubber to transmit electricity?

A.
malleability
B.
density
C.
conductivity
D.
ductility

Answer 1

The physical property that explains the difference in the ability of copper and rubber to transmit electricity is C. conductivity. Copper is a conductor of electricity, meaning it allows electric current to flow through it easily, while rubber is an insulator, which means it does not conduct electricity well.