Electrical conductivity (σ) is a fundamental property of elements that determines their ability to conduct electric current. It represents the inverse of electrical resistivity and is usually measured in Siemens per meter (S/m). The electrical conductivity property plays a vital role in many industrial and electronic applications while guiding the material choice for electrical wiring, conductive coatings, and semiconductor production. Alfa Chemistry gives you this table to find the electrical conductivity of the element in the periodic table.
| Atomic Number | Element | Symbol | Electrical Conductivity |
| 3 | Lithium | Li | 0.108*106/cm·Ω |
| 4 | Beryllium | Be | 0.313*106/cm·Ω |
| 5 | Boron | B | 1.0E-12*106/cm·Ω |
| 6 | Carbon | C | 0.00061*106/cm·Ω |
| 11 | Sodium | Na | 0.21*106/cm·Ω |
| 12 | Magnesium | Mg | 0.226*106/cm·Ω |
| 13 | Aluminum | Al | 0.377*106/cm·Ω |
| 14 | Silicon | Si | 2.52E-12*106/cm·Ω |
| 15 | Phosphorus | P | 1.0E--17*106/cm·Ω |
| 16 | Sulphur | S | 5.0E-24*106/cm·Ω |
| 19 | Potassium | K | 0.139*106/cm·Ω |
| 20 | Calcium | Ca | 0.298*106/cm·Ω |
| 21 | Scandium | Sc | 0.0177*106/cm·Ω |
| 22 | Titanium | Ti | 0.0234*106/cm·Ω |
| 23 | Vanadium | V | 0.0489*106/cm·Ω |
| 24 | Chromium | Cr | 0.0774*106/cm·Ω |
| 25 | Manganese | Mn | 0.00695*106/cm·Ω |
| 26 | Iron | Fe | 0.0993*106/cm·Ω |
| 27 | Cobalt | Co | 0.172*106/cm·Ω |
| 28 | Nickel | Ni | 0.143*106/cm·Ω |
| 29 | Copper | Cu | 0.596*106/cm·Ω |
| 30 | Zinc | Zn | 0.166*106/cm·Ω |
| 31 | Gallium | Ga | 0.0678*106/cm·Ω |
| 32 | Germanium | Ge | 1.45E-8*106/cm·Ω |
| 33 | Arsenic | As | 0.0345*106/cm·Ω |
| 34 | Selenium | Se | 1.0E-12*106/cm·Ω |
| 37 | Rubidium | Rb | 0.0779*106/cm·Ω |
| 38 | Strontium | Sr | 0.0762*106/cm·Ω |
| 39 | Yttrium | Y | 0.0166*106/cm·Ω |
| 40 | Zirconium | Zr | 0.0236*106/cm·Ω |
| 41 | Niobium | Nb | 0.0693*106/cm·Ω |
| 42 | Molybdenum | Mo | 0.187*106/cm·Ω |
| 43 | Technetium | Tc | 0.067*106/cm·Ω |
| 44 | Ruthenium | Ru | 0.137*106/cm·Ω |
| 45 | Rhodium | Rh | 0.211*106/cm·Ω |
| 46 | Palladium | Pd | 0.095*106/cm·Ω |
| 47 | Silver | Ag | 0.63*106/cm·Ω |
| 48 | Cadmium | Cd | 0.138*106/cm·Ω |
| 49 | Indium | In | 0.116*106/cm·Ω |
| 50 | Tin | Sn | 0.0917*106/cm·Ω |
| 51 | Antimony | Sb | 0.0288*106/cm·Ω |
| 52 | Tellurium | Te | 2.0E-6*106/cm·Ω |
| 53 | Iodine | I | 8.0E-16*106/cm·Ω |
| 55 | Cesium | Cs | 0.0489*106/cm·Ω |
| 56 | Barium | Ba | 0.03*106/cm·Ω |
| 57 | Lanthanum | La | 0.0126*106/cm·Ω |
| 58 | Cerium | Ce | 0.0115*106/cm·Ω |
| 59 | Praseodymium | Pr | 0.0148*106/cm·Ω |
| 60 | Neodymium | Nd | 0.0157*106/cm·Ω |
| 62 | Samarium | Sm | 0.00956*106/cm·Ω |
| 63 | Europium | Eu | 0.0112*106/cm·Ω |
| 64 | Gadolinium | Gd | 0.00736*106/cm·Ω |
| 65 | Terbium | Tb | 0.00889*106/cm·Ω |
| 66 | Dysprosium | Dy | 0.0108*106/cm·Ω |
| 67 | Holmium | Ho | 0.0124*106/cm·Ω |
| 68 | Erbium | Er | 0.0117*106/cm·Ω |
| 69 | Thulium | Tm | 0.015*106/cm·Ω |
| 70 | Ytterbium | Yb | 0.0351*106/cm·Ω |
| 71 | Lutetium | Lu | 0.0185*106/cm·Ω |
| 72 | Hafnium | Hf | 0.0312*106/cm·Ω |
| 73 | Tantalum | Ta | 0.0761*106/cm·Ω |
| 74 | Tungsten | W | 0.189*106/cm·Ω |
| 75 | Rhenium | Re | 0.0542*106/cm·Ω |
| 76 | Osmium | Os | 0.109*106/cm·Ω |
| 77 | Iridium | Ir | 0.197*106/cm·Ω |
| 78 | Platinum | Pt | 0.0966*106/cm·Ω |
| 79 | Gold | Au | 0.452*106/cm·Ω |
| 80 | Mercury | Hg | 0.0104*106/cm·Ω |
| 81 | Thallium | Tl | 0.0617*106/cm·Ω |
| 82 | Lead | Pb | 0.0481*106/cm·Ω |
| 83 | Bismuth | Bi | 0.00867*106/cm·Ω |
| 84 | Polonium | Po | 0.0219*106/cm·Ω |
| 87 | Francium | Fr | 0.03*106/cm·Ω |
| 90 | Thorium | Th | 0.0653*106/cm·Ω |
| 91 | Protactinium | Pa | 0.0529*106/cm·Ω |
| 92 | Uranium | U | 0.038*106/cm·Ω |
| 93 | Neptunium | Np | 0.00822*106/cm·Ω |
| 94 | Plutonium | Pu | 0.00666*106/cm·Ω |
| 95 | Americum | Am | 0.022*106/cm·Ω |
Key Observations
Silver stands as the element with supreme electrical conductivity, which makes it perfect for advanced electrical purposes, but copper holds the advantage in terms of price efficiency. Despite having a lower electrical conductivity than copper and silver, gold still has a high corrosion resistance, which makes it useful in electronic devices.
Graphite, which is a carbon allotrope, stands out among nonmetals because it possesses moderate conductivity through its delocalized π-electron system, which benefits electrode material applications. Pure silicon and germanium show limited conductivity, but their effectiveness for semiconductors improves through doping, which increases charge carrier numbers.
What affects the conductivity of an element?
An element's electrical conductivity depends mainly on its electronic structure together with its bonding characteristics and how it responds to temperature changes. Key factors include:
- Electron Mobility and Band Structure: The presence of free electrons in the conduction band controls electrical conductivity in metals. Copper and silver show high conductivity because their partially filled conduction bands minimize electron scattering.
- Atomic Structure and Lattice Defects: The structured pattern of atoms within a crystalline solid influences how electrons move through it. Electron scattering caused by impurities and structural defects diminishes conductivity.
- Temperature Dependence: The conductivity of most metals reduces as temperature rises because phonon interactions from lattice vibrations obstruct electron movement. Thermal excitation in semiconductors generates additional charge carriers, which leads to increased conductivity when temperature rises.
- Phase and Allotropic Modifications: Allotropes of certain elements like carbon (graphite compared to diamond) show different conductivity levels because their electronic delocalization and bonding structures vary.
For more information on the chemical elements see: Periodic Table of the Elements
