Why Should an Electrician Use Rubber Gloves While Repairing An Electrical Switch?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 13th, 2023
Electricians should wear rubber gloves while repairing an electrical switch to protect themself from electric shock while getting in contact with the electrical device. The human body is a good conductor for electricity to pass so it can be dangerous for electricians to work with it. Rubber is a bad conductor of electricity that does not allow the electric current to pass through it. It is an insulator which can prevent the person doing the repairs from getting a shock. Hence, the rubber gloves save the electrician from getting an electric shock by preventing the flow of electric current through it.
Table of content
Good Conductors and Bad Conductors of Electricity
- The materials that allow the electric current to pass through them are termed good conductors of electricity. For example, Metals such as Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu) are good conductors of electricity. Since Copper is cheaper, therefore, it has a wide range of uses in electrical equipment such as wiring, motors, etc.
- The materials that do not allow electricity to pass through them are termed as bad conductors of electricity. These are also known as insulators which prevent electricity from passing through. For example, rubber, wood, plastic, etc.
- As the human body is a good conductor of electricity, having a layer of insulator protects it from getting electrocuted by getting in direct contact with an electric source.
Summary
Why Should an Electrician Use Rubber Gloves While Repairing An Electrical Switch?
As rubber is a bad conductor of electricity, therefore, it prevents the flow of electric current to the human body thereby protecting the electrician from getting an electric shock while he is wearing rubber gloves.
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