| THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS - ELEMENT CATEGORIES | ||
All elements of which matter is made are placed into one of three categories depending on their ability to conduct an electric current: conductors, semiconductors, and insulators. Conductors are elements that conduct electricity very readily, while insulators have an extremely high resistance to the flow of electricity. All matter between these two extremes may be called semiconductors. Since valence electrons are those that bond with another atom, their availability determines the conductivity of an element. As a general rule, conductors have 3 or less valence electrons; insulators have 5 or more valence electrons; and semiconductors usually have 4 valence electrons. |
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