what are insulators

Insulators are materials that do not allow the flow of electrical current or heat through them easily). They are used in electrical equipment to support and separate electrical conductors without allowing current through themselves). Insulators possess a high resistivity and low conductivity, and their atoms have tightly bound electrons that do not move throughout the material. Examples of insulators include plastic, rubber, wood, glass, and air. Insulators are used to hold conductors in position, separating them from one another and from surrounding structures, and they form a barrier between energized parts of an electric circuit and confine the flow of current to wires or other conducting paths as desired.