Question

Why is air a bad conductor

Answer 1

air is a poor conductor because its molecules are not in continuous contact with one another unlike a solid. Heat by conduction passes more quickly in a solid because the molecules' vibrations immediately affect their neighbours. Air molecules only tranfer energy upon collision, and that collision time is too small for any significant energy tranfer to occur. Heat transfer in air is mainly due to convection, which in general is less efficient than in conduction.