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Semiconductors
Part
2: Conductors
Electrical
conductors are elements with only one to three electrons in the
outer shell of each atom. The best conductors - copper, gold and
silver - have only one electron in the outer shell, mercury has
two and aluminium has three. Because the outer shell is not filled,
the electrons tend to move easily from one atom to another within
the element. Because the movement is random, no electrical change
results in the absence of an electrical force. However, when a voltage
is applied to a conductor, the negative electrons will move rapidly
towards the positive voltage. This is known as current flow.
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