Which term describes a material that reduces transmission of electric charge?

• A. Electrical insulator
• B. Conductor
• C. Semiconductor
• D. Metal

Answer: (A)

Materials that resist the flow of electric charge are electrical insulators. They have high resistance and very low conductivity, meaning they greatly reduce current transmission. This happens because they lack mobile charge carriers or have electrons tightly bound, requiring a lot of energy to move. That’s why insulators like plastic, rubber, and glass are used to coat or separate conductors, preventing shocks and short circuits. In contrast, a conductor or metal contains many free electrons, so charge moves easily. Semiconductors can be tuned between insulating and conducting states, but by default they don’t inherently reduce transmission as much as insulators.