What is the measure of a material's ability to conduct electricity?

• A. Electrical conductivity
• B. Electrical resistivity
• C. Capacitance
• D. Inductance

Answer: (B)

How easily charges move through a material under an electric field is described by electrical conductivity. This property quantifies how readily current flows; higher conductivity means a material conducts electricity more well. Conductivity is measured in siemens per meter (S/m) and is an intrinsic property of the material. A good conductor like copper has a high conductivity because its electrons can move freely, while insulators have low conductivity.

Resistance to current flow is described by resistivity, which is the reciprocal of conductivity. In other words, ρ = 1/σ. Resistivity tells you how much a material resists current per unit length and area; materials with high resistivity are poor conductors. Capacitance and inductance, on the other hand, relate to storing energy in electric and magnetic fields, not to how easily charges move through a material.

So, the measure of a material’s ability to conduct electricity is electrical conductivity.