Conductors:
- nail
- metal spoon
- $1 coin
- plastic spoon (incorrect; should be insulator)
- piece of wood (incorrect; should be insulator)
- piece of card (incorrect; should be insulator)
- piece of paper (incorrect; should be insulator)
- key
- aluminium foil
- 5c coin
Insulators:
- piece of string
- paperclip (incorrect; should be conductor)
- ruler (depends on material; typically plastic/rubber = insulator)
- pencil (wood/case = insulator; graphite core = conductor — ambiguous)
- toy car (typically plastic = insulator)
- plastic spoon
- piece of wood
- piece of card
- piece of paper
Note: Some items like “paperclip” and “plastic spoon” are misclassified above based on common properties. Correct classification:
Actual Conductors:
- nail
- metal spoon
- $1 coin
- key
- aluminium foil
- 5c coin
- paperclip
Actual Insulators:
- piece of string
- ruler (if plastic/wood)
- pencil (outer casing only; graphite is conductor but not typically tested as whole object)
- toy car (plastic body)
- plastic spoon
- piece of wood
- piece of card
- piece of paper
Pencil’s graphite core conducts, but in elementary experiments, the whole pencil is often treated as an insulator due to its wooden casing and limited exposure of graphite. Similarly, “ruler” is assumed plastic unless specified otherwise.
Final Correct Grouping:
Conductors:
- nail
- metal spoon
- $1 coin
- key
- aluminium foil
- 5c coin
- paperclip
Insulators:
- piece of string
- ruler
- pencil
- toy car
- plastic spoon
- piece of wood
- piece of card
- piece of paper
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of conductors and insulators worksheet 5th grade.
