Conductors and Insulators

Have you ever felt a tiny, tingly zap. That’s my friend, Electricity. It loves to zoom and zip around. I have two special jobs for my zappy friend. Sometimes, I make a super-fast slide for Electricity to ride on. Whee. It slides all the way from one spot to another. But other times, I put up my hands and say, 'Stop right there, little zap.'. I build a soft, safe wall so Electricity can't go any farther. I am very good at telling the zaps where to go and where to stop. It's a very important job.

Are you wondering who I am. I am two friends working together. My name is Conductors and Insulators. For a long, long, long time, people saw the zaps but didn't know about me. Then, a very curious man named Stephen Gray found our secret. Way back in the year 1729, he played with zappy things. He saw that shiny metal wires were a perfect slide for Electricity. That's me, the Conductor. Then he saw that soft, silky threads made the zaps stop right in their tracks. That's me, the Insulator. He was the first to see that some things let the zap go, and some things make the zap stay.

Today, you can see us working together all over your house. Look at the cord for your bright nightlight. The shiny metal part hiding inside is me, the Conductor. I make a path for the zappy Electricity to get to the light bulb and make it glow. The soft, rubbery part you can touch on the outside is me, the Insulator. I keep the zap safely inside so it doesn't tickle your fingers. Together, we help power your fun toys and keep your whole house cozy and bright. We are your helpful zappy friends.