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Any tips on Oil as an Insulator?

Hello All,

Would anyone share any tips on the practical Oil as an insulator? I'm self taught so wondering what your tutors have told you to concentrate on revision wise for this practical.
Any help will be gratefully received!
Kind regards,
WinterDawn

p.s. I'm not asking for exam answers! Just what your tutors told you - if they can tell you then it will be ok to share and within the rules x

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

Original post by WinterDawn

Hi!

Practical oils have no charge carriers. To conduct electricity, charge carriers have to be in existence to cause a current (or an ion flow) when voltage is plugged. This is different when oil shows impurities. The higher the impurities, the higher the elecrtical conductivity. Salt is a good substance to increase the impurity of oil and thus the conductivity (you know that salt consists of sodium and chlorine?).

To test for yourself that oil has an electrical conductivity under certain circumstances, uses the galvanic cell and build this experiment up. The case is full of oil instead of water, next to this case there is a bowl full of salt. Uses the oil in the case without salt first. When the electrodes are dunking into the oil, the needle of the voltmeter does not move: there are no charge carriers which are moving in this liquid. After that add the bowl full of salt to it, now the needle is moving: when salt was add to the oil, the salt was dissociated in it; sodium and chlorine ions come into being and are moving to the electrodes. The more salt you used the more the needle is moving.

By the way: I have not told with my tutor about it. Have never had oil as an insulator as a subject. I was just giving an answer by thinking about the reasons and researching in the internet.