Electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity are two important properties of materials, but they refer to different phenomena.
Electrical conductivity is a measure of how well a material can conduct electric current. Materials that allow electric current to flow easily are called conductors, such as metals like copper and aluminum. This property is important in electrical applications where efficient current flow is needed. Electrical conductivity is influenced by the number of free electrons in the material; the more free electrons present, the higher the electrical conductivity.
On the other hand, thermal conductivity refers to the ability of a material to conduct heat. It is a measure of how quickly heat can pass through a substance. Good thermal conductors, like metals, allow heat to travel through them efficiently, while insulators, like wood or plastic, have low thermal conductivity and resist heat flow.
In summary, the main difference between the two lies in what they conduct: electrical conductivity is about the flow of electric charge, while thermal conductivity is about the flow of heat. Although some materials can be good conductors of both electricity and heat (like metals), others may excel in one while being poor in the other.