Is dry leather a good conductor of electricity?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Sometimes
• D. Always

Answer: (B)

Electrical conduction depends on having free charge carriers. Dry leather is an organic, nonmetallic material with its molecules bound up and few free carriers available, so it offers a lot of resistance to current. When it’s dry, there isn’t enough moisture to provide ions that would help carry electricity, so it behaves as an insulator rather than a conductor. Only if the leather becomes wet would its conductivity increase, because water brings ions that can carry charge more easily. So dry leather does not conduct electricity well, making the best answer no.