In this activity students will learn what conductors and insulators are. They will then carry out an experiment to determine what types of materials are conductors and which are insulators. Students will identify the properties that the conductive materials have in common and the properties that insulators share.

Educational value statement

• Outlines the difference between conductors and insulators
• Provides students with an opportunity to determine what types of materials might be conductors or insulators

Key learning objectives

• Students construct a simple electrical circuit
• Students test the conductivity of a variety of materials
• Students use their results to determine if materials are conductors or insulators
• Students identify that conductive materials have common properties and insulating materials have common properties.

Australian Curriculum content statements
Science: ACSSU097 (6)