Science · 6 pages · 12 min
How an insulator holds charge in place
Electrons in an insulator are bound, so charge put on the surface has no easy ride away.
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From the opening
An insulator holds charge in place because its electrons are bound to atoms or bonds and have no nearby empty states that would let them drift. Put extra charge on the surface and nothing mobile is available to carry it off. The opening covers bound electrons and an energy gap, why rubbing demos use plastic, and moisture that lets charge leak.
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Inside
- Bound electrons and an energy gap
- Why rubbing demos use plastic
- Moisture that lets charge leak
- Breakdown when the field wins
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Bound electrons and the insulating energy gap
- Conductors distinguished from electrics by Gray and Gilbert