Liquids Conducting Current Name: Nathan U. I am reviewing some
materials for the electricity unit in my physics classes. I have
come across similar passages in different texts as follows: "A
conductor in both the solid state and liquid state can carry a
current to complete an electrical circuit. However, a solid
conductor involves the movement of electrons through the atomic
lattice, whereas a liquid conductor transports ionic charges
through the solution." (Northwestern University Materials World
Modules, 2002). I am puzzled by this generalization of liquids.
How does liquid mercury or sodium (nuclear reactor design)
conduct electricity? I am not aware of the requirement of ions.
It is too bad; those passages seem to have over-generalized,
quite detrimentally to the reader's understanding. Every metal,
whether liquid or solid, has easily-moving electrons in an
Virtually everything that is silver-gray colored and
electrically conductive is in this category. So you were correct
to notice that mercury or molten