The Limits of Electrical Insulators

Even the best insulators will turn into conductors if you hit them hard enough. We usually trust

materials like rubber, glass, and plastic to block electricity because their electrons

are locked down tight. That is exactly why you can touch a plugged-in cord

without getting fried. But here is the catch. No insulator is

perfect. If you crank the voltage up past a specific limit, you trigger electrical

breakdown. The force literally rips electrons off the atoms, turning that safety

barrier into a live wire. So insulators are the only reason we survive using

high-voltage tech, just don't push them until they snap.