What is a conductor?
A conductor is the name given to a material that allows electricity to pass through it.
Conductors and Insulators KS2
Circuits and Conductors - Lesson 4: Conductors and Insulators
This circuits and conductors year 4 lesson pack has everything you need to engage children in the world of electricity. To start, your KS2 children will learn about where electricity comes from an...
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Conductors and Insulators KS2
What is an insulator?
An insulator is the name given to a material that does not allow electricity to pass through it.
A diagram showing materials that are electrical insulators and electrical conductors in a circuit.
Examples of conductors
Lots of metals are good conductors, such as copper, iron, steel, brass and gold. Water is also an electrical conductor.
Examples of insulators
Plastic, rubber, wood and glass are good insulators. Air is also an electrical insulator.
Many objects are made from more than one material. Depending on the object's purpose, parts of it may need to be made from a material that is a conductor, whilst other parts need to be made from a material that is an insulator.
For example, the pins of a plug, which are inserted into a socket to connect to the mains electrical current, need to be conductors. They are usually made from brass. However, the casing of the plug needs to be an insulator so that the electrical current is blocked and doesn't harm the person plugging in the device. It is usually made from plastic.
The pins of a plug are electrical conductors, whilst the casing is an electrical insulator.
When should children learn about conductors and insulators?
According to the National Curriculum Science objectives, children learn about conductors and insulators in KS2. It is assigned as compulsory learning in Year 4 under the 'Electricity' strand of learning.
In Year 4, children should learn to:
- recognise some common conductors and insulators, and associate metals with being good conductors.
The non-statutory activities suggest that pupils might work scientifically by: observing patterns, for example, that bulbs get brighter if more cells are added, that metals tend to be conductors of electricity, and that some materials can and some cannot be used to connect across a gap in a circuit.
Our ready-to-teach Year 4 Circuits and Conductors scheme of work covers this objective, as well as other objectives in the 'Electricity' strand.
