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My question is what makes a conductor able to pass electricity? I know that conductors have free electrons where as insulators don't have as many but can't you just add free electrons to the insulator from a battery or other source?

I know that valence bands are the outermost 'ring' of electrons. In a conductor the electrons their are loosely bound and can easily abandon the atom. However, the outermost electrons in an insulator are strongly 'bonded'. I know it has something to do with this but I'm not sure what.

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  • $\begingroup$ You may want to give your background understanding and how in-depthan answer you want, because the answer to this get be very very deep. For example, do you know of electron orbitals? Or valence bands? Each of these gives a progressively deeper answer. $\endgroup$
    – DKNguyen
    Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 20:30
  • $\begingroup$ Valence bands are the outermost 'ring' of electrons. In a conductor the electrons their are loosely bound and can easily abandon the atom. However, the outermost electrons in an insulator are strongly 'bonded'. I know it has something to do with this but I'm not sure what. $\endgroup$
    – Faheem Azeemi
    Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 20:41
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    $\begingroup$ Related: physics.stackexchange.com/q/575471/195139 $\endgroup$
    – Sandejo
    Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 20:52
  • $\begingroup$ Related question by OP $\endgroup$
    – BioPhysicist
    Commented Sep 21, 2020 at 22:00

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