Question

Silk threads are very good conductors of electricity. (State whether the given statement is true or false.)
A. True
B. False

Answer 1

If a large amount of current is produced for a small potential difference, then we say that the material is a good conductor of electricity. When it takes a large potential difference across the material for producing a small current in the material, we say that the material is a bad conductor of electricity.

Complete answer:
Let us first understand what is meant by a good conductor of electricity. A good conductor of electricity is that material, which conducts electricity easily. This means that electric charges can easily flow through a good conductor. We know that flow of charges through a cross section per unit time is defined as current. We also know that when there is a difference between the electric potentials at two different points, then charges move from one point to another. Hence, we can say that there is a current when there is a potential difference.

Therefore, when we create some potential difference across a material, there will be current flowing through the material (because all materials have charges inside them). If a large amount of current is produced for a small potential difference, then we say that the material is a good conductor of electricity.

When it takes a large potential difference across the material for producing a small current in the material, we say that the material is a bad conductor of electricity. Good conductors of electricity are mostly metals. Silk threads are bad conductors of electricity because they produced very little current even for a very large potential difference.

Hence, the given statement is false. This means that the correct option is B.

Note: The materials that do not conduct electricity absolutely are called insulators. They do not conduct electricity even for maximum value of potential difference. There is a difference between a poor conductor and an insulator. There is zero current through an insulator but some current through a poor conductor for large potential difference.