Conductor confusion

I posted a problem in which I asked:

Which metal is the least conductor of electricity?

I wrote Lead as the answer, but @Aryan Sanghi reported it and told that sulphur is. So, I deleted the problem.

Now, after searching a lot on Google, I found many answers. So websites say one metal, others say other, and I am really confused. These are the answers I got:

  • Lead
  • Sulphur
  • Bismuth
  • Tungsten
  • and many others.

I wish to know the correct answer to this. Any help will be appreciated.

#ElectricityAndMagnetism

Note by Vinayak Srivastava
11 months, 3 weeks ago

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Comments

@Aryan Sanghi, @Steven Chase, @Arjen Vreugdenhil, please tell me what is right. Also, please forgive me if my problem was wrong. I have deleted it.

Vinayak Srivastava - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Firstly Sulphur is not a metal actually. Actually, conductivity depends on temperature. Mercury has least conductivity and maximum resistivity among metals. But, consider f-block elements and you get even more. So, your question should be Which among the following is most conductive. Hope it helps. :)

Aryan Sanghi - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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But I want the least conductive one.

Vinayak Srivastava - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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Sorry, a typo. It's least conductive.

Aryan Sanghi - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

@Vinayak Srivastava Conductivity1ρConductivity \propto \frac{1}{\rho} where ρ\rho is the specific resistivity of the material. Hope it helps.

Zakir Husain - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

@Vinayak Srivastava,it seems that my logic also fails:-P.

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

mercury or pure mercury

NSCS 747 - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

link text :)

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

@Aryan Sanghi, @Zakir Husain, @Kriti Kamal, @Nathan Soliman, @Páll Márton, I don't want links as I haven't studied it that much to understand the maths. I wish for a one word answer. Still, thanks for responding!

Vinayak Srivastava - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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Ok, actually the answer is we don't know which metal is least conductive as there are many metals not yet discovered and every new element discovered widens the list. So, .... Hope it helps.

Aryan Sanghi - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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Ya,may but,i think.he asking from.discovered metals.

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

I think pure mercury.

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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yes

NSCS 747 - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

You can't understand it properly until you don't jump into it's math.

Zakir Husain - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

With google translator:

  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Aluminum
  • Zinc
  • Nickel
  • Brass
  • Bronze
  • Iron
  • Platinum
  • Carbon steel
  • Lead
  • Stainless steel

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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But it still depends on many factors. Some materials will be superconducting under certain conditions and their electrical resistance will be almost zero.

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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@A Former Brilliant Member That is exactly my point.

Aryan Sanghi - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

@A Former Brilliant Member You must study specific resistivity and math involved in it to understand the whole perfectly

Zakir Husain - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

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@Zakir Husain Thank you! I had already read this but did not understand all its parts. My physics teacher studied about semiconductors and superconductors, so he always talks about them.

A Former Brilliant Member - 11 months, 3 weeks ago

@Vinayak Srivastava - Plutonium is the answer, click this link :)

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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Why? Some text

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Yes why? Some text

Vinayak Srivastava - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Because.................. some text

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

It has 2 valence electrons, that's all i know, you asked for a one word answer @Vinayak Srivastava, @Páll Márton

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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I have lots of electrons, but when I'm walking we can't call it ............. . What is ............. ? I don't understand you, and you don't understand me

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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@A Former Brilliant Member What is dot,dot,dot......................? @Páll Márton

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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@A Former Brilliant Member Ouch, reading that hurt my brain. It was 'shocking' LOL

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Why does valence electrons matter? Many elements have 2 valence electrons

Vinayak Srivastava - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

It has an electrical conductivity of 0.00666 106/cm Ω, now don't ask me why, coz I'm just as confused as you guys are, silicon could also be the answer as it has electrical conductivity of 2.52E-12 106/cm Ω

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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@A Former Brilliant Member It is because outer electrons of plutonium are not well shielded because of f-orbital\text{f-orbital} poor shielding and so it is unable to lose electron easily. So, it has low conductivity. Hope you understand. @Vinayak Srivastava @Percy Jackson. :)

Aryan Sanghi - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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@Aryan Sanghi Thank you @Aryan Sanghi!

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago
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