Why does lead not conduct electricity?

Answer 1

Lead actually does conduct electricity. It is one of the components in solder and also in automotive batteries. Without lead, batteries would not work or conduct current. Lead is a very good conductor of electricity. The best conductor of course is Gold, but lead is not so far down the list for conductors.

Answer 2

Yes, lead does conduct electricity, but it is a poor conductor.

Silver is the best electrical conductor of any known metal. At 20 °C it has 15.87 nΩ·m electrical resistivity.

Copper is the second best conductor, at 16.78 nΩm.

Gold comes in third, at 22.14 nΩm.

Aluminum is next at 26.50 nΩm.

Lead is way down the line at 1.29 µΩm.

As electrical resistivity is the inverse of electric conductivity, it follows that the more resistance something has the less conductive it is. Lead is a poor electrical conductor.

n or nano = 10^-9, which is one billionth or .0000000001

µ or micro = 10^-6, which is one millionth, or .0000001

Lead is used in building construction, lead-acid (car) batteries, bullets shots, weights, pewters, fusible alloys and as a radiation shield. Lead has the highest atomic number of all of the stable elements.

Lead is potent neurotoxin and is poisonous to mammals in that it damages the nervous system and causes both blood and brain disorders.

These numbers are from: David R. Lide, CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th Edition. CRC Press. Section 12, Properties of Solids; Electrical Resistivity of Pure Metals.

Answer 3

In the conductivity list lead is close to the bottom. Silver is 106, Copper is 100, Gold is 65, Aluminium is 59 and lead is 7. Lead is not a good conductor by any means but it still is conductive.

Answer 4

lead does not conduct electricity. Gold, silver, and copper are better conductors. A conductor requires "free" electrons for electrical flow.