Question

Predict the effect (if any) of an increase in temperature on the electrical conductivity of

1. a conductor;
2. a semiconductor;
3. an insulator.

Short answer

As the temperature increases, the electrical conductivity of:

1. a conductor decreases
2. a semiconductor increases
3. an Insulator increases.

Step-by-step solution

Effect of temperature

1. For the conductors, as the temperature increases, the vibrational energy of the atoms increases which enhances the resistivity of the material.
2. For the semiconductors, as the temperature increases, the carrier concentration increases which leads to more number of electrons to get excited.
3. As the temperature increases, the forbidden energy gap of insulators decreases.

Effect on conductance

On the basis of above explanation, the conductance of conductor decreases, and increase for the semiconductor and insulators with the increase in temperature.