Complex Electrical Conductivity Definition

Complex electrical conductivity describes conductance in alternating electrical fields.

Electrical conductivity is a numeric description of a material's ability to carry an electric current. Complex electrical conductivity is used to describe a material's conductivity when exposed to alternating electrical fields.

Conductivity

Conductivity is usually represented by the Greek letter σ. Conductivity is presented as the amount of charge materials can carry per dimensional unit. For example, silver, which has the highest elemental conductivity, has a conductivity of 0.63 10^6/cm.

Temperature

A material's conductivity depends on its temperature. The colder a material becomes, the lower its conductivity becomes.

Complex Conductivity

A material's conductivity when exposed to an alternating electrical field, its complex electrical conductivity, is expressed as a complex number. A complex number is one in which one term is multiplied by an imaginary number, the square root of -1.

References

• environmentalchemistry.com: Periodic Table of Elements Sorted by Electrical Conductivity
• mathworld.wolfram.com: Complex Number