leitfähigen

Leitfähig is a German adjective meaning capable of conducting electricity or, less commonly, heat. In physics and engineering, it is used to describe materials or substances that allow electric charges to flow with relatively low resistance. The corresponding noun is Leitfähigkeit, which denotes the property of electrical conductivity.

The base form leitfähig declines like a regular adjective. The inflected form leitfähigen occurs in plural and certain grammatical cases, for example die leitfähigen Stoffe (the conductive substances) or mit leitfähigen Materialien (with conductive materials). When describing a single neuter noun in the nominative or accusative, the form would be leitfähiges Material (a conductive material). In English, leitfähig is typically translated as conductive or conductive-capable, while Leitfähigkeit corresponds to electrical conductivity.

Electrical conductivity is measured in siemens per meter (S/m) and is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity (ρ). Materials with high conductivity, such as copper or silver, are good conductors, whereas materials with very low conductivity, like glass or plastic, are insulators. Solutions containing ions, such as saltwater, can also be conductive, while pure water has very low conductivity.

Leitfähigkeit and its adjective leitfähig are used across disciplines including electronics, materials science, chemistry, and related fields. The term can also appear in contexts describing heat conduction, though more common German terminology for thermal conduction uses different phrases. Overall, leitfähig and Leitfähigkeit provide a concise framework for discussing how readily substances support the flow of electric charges.