12 examples of insulating objects that are around us along with a complete explanation – Insulating materials are usually classified into two major groups, namely electrical insulators and thermal insulators.
Electrical insulators are materials that do not allow electrical energy to pass through. Unlike electrical conductors, which allow electricity to flow freely, electrical insulators have covalent bonds that prevent electrons from passing through.
Meanwhile, thermal insulation is a material that, when exposed to a heat source, offers significant resistance before an increase in temperature occurs. This doesn’t mean that the thermal insulator doesn’t conduct energy heat because all substances conduct heat in at least a small proportion.
But they do so in small enough sizes to make them useful if you want to isolate a specific heat source.
What is an Isolator?
An insulator is a material or substance that resists or does not allow current to flow through it. In general, it is dense in nature. Also, isolators find use in various systems.
Because they do not allow heat flow. The property that makes insulators different from conductors is their resistivity.
An insulator is a material that does not allow the transfer of heat or electricity to slow down. Insulators can be made of many types of materials but metals are generally not insulators.
The insulator particles do not allow free flow of electrons, furthermore the charge is seldom distributed evenly across the surface of the insulator.
While insulators are not useful for transferring charge, they serve an important role in electrostatic experiments and demonstrations. Conductive objects are often attached to insulating objects.
This arrangement of conductors over insulators prevents charge from being transferred from the conductive object to its surroundings. This setting also allows the student or teacher to manipulate the conductor object without touching it.
Isolator Function
The isolator serves as a handle to move the conductor across the lab table. If the filling experiment is with an aluminum pop can, the can must be placed over a Styrofoam cup.
The cup acts as an insulator, preventing the pop can from discharging. The glass also acts as a handle when you need to move the can across the table.
The main function of the insulating material is to withstand the flow of current and heat that passes through it. These are usually solid in nature & are used in a variety of systems.
So an insulator is different from a conductor because it behaves like resistance. Examples of good insulators are cloth, wood, glass, quartz, mica, etc. It is used as a shield as it provides safety against sound, electricity and heat.
Insulators are divided into two types, namely electrical insulators and thermal insulators. Electrical insulators are materials that do not allow electrical energy to pass through.
While thermal insulation is a material that, when exposed to a heat source, offers significant resistance before an increase in temperature occurs.
However this does not mean that thermal insulators do not conduct heat energy as all substances do conduct heat at least in a small proportion.
Electrical insulators block flow electron or current flowing through it. So, humans use it extensively in circuit boards and high voltage systems. They are also used in coating electrical wires and cables.
Materials that allow heat to pass through easily are called thermal conductors. Metals, such as aluminum, copper, steel, and iron, are all good conductors of heat.
Examples of Insulators
After knowing what an insulator is, it’s less complete if you don’t give an example of an insulator.
Here are some examples of insulating objects that are around us:
1. Ceramics
Ceramic materials, which are made of brown, red or white clay, are an effective insulator for electrically conducting materials.
Most high-voltage systems contain ceramic wire holders or ceramic coating to protect the wires that carry the electric current. Many industrial companies are now using insulating ceramics instead of insulating glass.
2. Cotton
When dry, cotton is an excellent insulating material. It is usually used in cloth tape to protect power lines and prevent people from receiving electric shocks.
However, when cotton is wet, it is no longer an effective insulator and may even become a conductor of electricity.
3. Wood
Wood has a lot of empty space, making it difficult for electricity to pass through. But that only happens with dry wood.
When wood gets wet, it expands and leaves less free space and makes it easier to conduct electricity. That’s why wood is not often used as a commercial insulator.
4. Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a very common insulating material. It consists of glass and plastic fibers woven into flat sheets.
When used as electrical insulation, fiberglass is often tightly wound around high voltage cables and cable conductors.
Many cables in high temperature systems, such as ovens or furnaces, use cables made of fiberglass.
5. Glass
Tiny glass fibers are used in fiberglass, but glass itself can also be used as an insulator.
Glass was a popular electrical insulator in telephones and power lines before other materials, such as ceramic and fiberglass, became available. Now, you are more likely to find glass insulators in an antique shop than in everyday life.
6. Rubber
Rubber is a proven material in electrical insulation. Most electricians wear rubber gloves to protect them from electric shock, and protective rubber electrical mats are often found in front of fuse boxes and keyboards. Silicone rubber is often found in electrical insulation and wire sheaths.
7. Plastic
Plastic is one of the most popular electrical insulating materials. It is used in wire insulation especially PVC, or polyvinyl chloride in vehicles, commercial buildings and homes.
You will also find PVC and other types of plastic insulation in electrical bedding and enclosures. Plastics are often used to replace old rubber insulation, for example in the manufacture of sockets.
8. Oil
Also known as transforming oil, insulating oil has many practical uses. It is found in oil filled transformers, high voltage switches, circuit breakers, capacitors and fluorescent lamps.
Modifier oil does need to be changed before it degrades, but it is a generally stable electrical insulator.
9. Paper
The natural cellulose in paper makes it a strong electrical insulator. Many early electric machines were made with paperboard or pressboard, which was made with many layers of dry paper.
These days electrical and telephone cables are often insulated with thick paper, although many companies are replacing these cables with plastic insulation.
10. Porcelain/Shard
Porcelain is similar to ceramic, but made of white clay and fired at a much higher temperature.
Therefore, porcelain is stronger than ceramic and can be used to insulate more electrically conductive materials at higher voltages. You will find porcelain insulators on power lines and substations.
11. Pure Water
You may have heard that electricity flows through water, but that’s not quite true. Pure water, water without dissolved salts and metals is an electrical insulator, not a conductor.
However, materials found in impure water can conduct electricity.
Bath water, pool water, and other types of everyday water are likely to be impure, and therefore can be dangerous when combined with electric current.
12. Diamonds
Most diamonds are insulators because of their tight carbon bonds. The exception is blue diamond, as there is enough boron to make it a semi-conductor.
However, diamonds are not thermal insulators, they conduct heat quite efficiently. You will find diamond insulation in many electrical machines such as generators and electric motors.
Thus an explanation of examples of insulating objects that are around us. Hopefully the explanation above is easy to understand and adds insight to all of you.
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