ocr: What are conductors andinsulators? ELECTRONSBOUND TONUCLEI ELECTRONS FREE TODRIFT 0- 0- 0- CONDUCTOR INSULATOR Electricity can be dangerous. That's why electric cables are covered in plastic. Plastic is an insulator - a material which does not allow an electric current to pass through it. The plastic coating on the cable is a safe sheath around the copper wires inside. Copper is a conductor of electricity. All metals conduct electricity well, although some are better than others. All materials, whether insulators or conductors, are made up ofatoms. Atoms contain a nucleus at the center, surrou ...