All questions about the nature of electricity lead to the composition of matter. All matter is made up of atoms.
Every atom has a nucleus, with positively - charged protons, and neutrons with no charge.
Moving around the nucleus are negatively -charged electrons.
With equal numbers of protons and electrons, their charges cancel each other out, leaving the atom with no overall charge.
An excess of electrons gives an atom a negative charge; a deficiency gives it a positive charge.
In some materials, there are electrons called free electrons, only loosely held by the nucleus.
The more free electrons a material has, the better it can conduct electricity.
Metals typically have lots of free electrons and are good conductors.
In insulators, electrons are bound much more tightly to the nucleus.
They cannot easily move freely, so they are not readily available for electric current.
Semiconductors conduct electricity more easily than insulators but not as well as conductors. They are crucial in electronics.
