Why is rubber a poor conductor of electricity?

Answer 1

Normally rubber is an insulator (a material that does not easily conduct electricity). However, the tire industry has developed certain truck tires that conduct electricity for use in trucks transporting flammable materials. The purpose is to discharge electrostatic charge from the truck (caused by friction from air resistance during travel) to the ground, thereby avoiding the risk of sparks from such accumulated chage accidentally igniting the cargo. An updated physics textbook will mention this, as mine does. This question about rubber and electricity often arises in discussion about why it is safer to stay inside your car during a lightning storm. It is not your car tires that keep you from being electrocuted inside a car. It is the fact that you are inside, rather than on the surface (lying on or otherwise touching the outside of) the conductor that is your car. As your basic physics text will explain, electrical charge is carried only on the OUTER surface of a conductor; no tires are needed for the protection provided by being inside*. Caveats: some newer car bodies are made from plastic polymers, not metal; also, metal interior parts (handles, etc.) may directly connect to the exterior. So don't touch anything metal inside your car, and know what your car body's made of!) *I haven't been, but Boston's Museum of Science has offered a demonstration of this, using a staff person inside a metal cage that is conducting impressively large sparks from a electrostatic charge generator. No tires involved, and s/he's perfectly fine while explaining this principle.

If Electricity has a charge high enough it will succeed in going through rubber. A lightning bolt depending on how long it lasts when you are hit. IF it lasts just half of a second the rubber won;t be affected, but you still will feel hot and you can still have 2nd degree burns. If it lasts longer than a second then you will be affected highly. The electricity's heat can increase the size of the rubber and eventually pass through it. YOu then will be shocked from it.

Answer 2

It has to do with a branch of physics called "band theory." Simply put, in an insulator, the valence electrons are tightly bound to their nucleus; they can't move around. On the other hand, in a good conductor of electricity like silver or copper, the valence electrons are free to move between neighboring nuclei (known as 'delocalised electrons'). Hence, in a conductor, charge can move from one end of the conductor to the other, and electricity can flow. In an insulator, charge cannot move, and so electricity cannot flow.

Answer 3

Well, rubber can be made to conduct electricity - your car tyres have a lot of carbon in their construction (to improve their wear characteristics) and this will make the tyres conductive. Which helps get rid of static electricity.

Answer 4

Rubber is mad because of the industy int he eviorment socioty electricity heat..ALL that heat goes to rubber

Answer 5

Yes.rubber is a poor conductor of heat.rubber is a good insulator of heat

Answer 6

Nope.....its an Insulator