conductivity
The degree to which a specified material conducts electricity or heat.
Conductivity is an intrinsic material property. It does not depend on the size or shape of the object, unlike 'conductance', which depends on the physical dimensions of the specific sample.
Word relationships
- transmissibility: Transmissibility is the general capacity to allow passage, while conductivity is a specific, quantified physical property for heat or electricity.
- resistivity: Resistivity is the measure of how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current or heat, directly opposing conductivity.
Commonly confused with
- conduction: Conduction is the physical process of heat or electricity moving through a medium, whereas conductivity is the numerical measure of a material's ability to perform this process.
Word family
- conductive (adjective): Having the capacity to conduct.
- conduct (verb): To transmit heat or electricity.
Collocations
- thermal conductivity
- electrical conductivity
- high conductivity
- coefficient of conductivity
Example sentences
- "Copper is highly valued in industrial heat exchangers because of its exceptional thermal conductivity." Materials science experiment
- "The electrical conductivity of the soil was measured to determine its moisture and salt content." Geological survey report
Memory hook
Think of 'conductivity' as the material's 'ability' to 'conduct'—it is the measure of how easily heat can travel through it. The measure of heat's ease.
When not to use
Do not use when referring to the act of conducting (use 'conduction' instead); conductivity is the measure of the ability to do so.
Fun facts
- Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, has the highest thermal conductivity ever measured—up to ten times that of copper!
Related words
Explore more words
conductor, resistance, Connectivity, semiconductor, Temperature
Also appears in
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