Conductivity

Conductivity is a block property that determines whether redstone signals can be conducted through them (i.e. powered). When conductive blocks receive a redstone signal, they are able to activate redstone mechanism components, and may be able to power adjacent redstone dust. Conductive and non-conductive blocks also have properties not related to redstone; for example, mob spawning, and suffocation.

Conductive blocks are often called opaque blocks because many common blocks that can be powered are opaque; for example, stone, dirt, wood. Non-conductive blocks are often called transparent blocks because the most common example is glass. However, whether or not you can see through the block does not determine whether a block can be powered. Most opaque blocks share a similar set of properties, and most transparent blocks share their own set.

Opaque full blocks (like stone) tend to be conductive while partial blocks (like slabs) or transparent blocks (like glass) tend to be non-conductive. However, there are numerous exceptions (see below).

Many effects of conductivity are non-obvious. Minecraft does not have a single "solid" property for blocks, and for historical reasons, conductivity is sometimes used when a test for solidity is needed.

Common properties of conductive blocks:

• can be powered
• prevent chests from opening when placed on top of them
• suffocates mobs inside them
• can "cut" redstone dust (prevent redstone dust from connecting vertically, see image)
• redstone dust can transmit a signal up or down a conductive block
• redstone comparators can measure block state through a conductive block unless its power level is 15.

Other properties may include:

• bats can hang upside down on conductive blocks
• ghast fireballs start fires on conductive blocks
• minecarts "bounce off" conductive blocks if a minecart passes over a powered rail pointing into a conductive block

Common properties of non-conductive blocks:

• cannot be powered
• do not prevent chest from opening when placed on top of them
• do not suffocate mobs inside them
• mobs cannot spawn inside conductive blocks. Conductive blocks also play a part in the pack spawning algorithm‌^{[Java Edition only]}.
• do not cut redstone dust (prevent from connecting vertically)
• redstone dust can only transmit a signal up a non-conductive block, not down ‌^{[Java Edition only]}
• redstone comparators cannot measure block state through non-conductive blocks

Other properties may include:

• bats cannot hang upside down on them
• ghast fireballs do not start fires on them
• minecarts stop when passing over a powered rail and colliding with a non-conductive block

Unique conductive blocks

As noted above, most conductive blocks are full solid blocks with the exception of soul sand and mud (7/8 of a block tall).

Mangrove roots, monster spawners‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}, trial spawners‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}, closed shulker boxes‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}, big dripleaf‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]} and barriers are the only conductive blocks that can be waterlogged.

Target blocks and jukeboxes are unique in that they connect to adjacent redstone dust.^{[verify for Bedrock Edition]}

Unique non-conductive blocks

Blocks of redstone, observers, and pistons are full solid blocks made of materials with the solid-blocking property, but are non-conductive.

Non-conductive block placement behavior

Many non-conductive blocks exhibit their own unique behavior regarding what blocks can be placed on them, and what blocks they can be placed on. See Opacity/Placement.

For example, leaves are a full solid non-conductive block, but certain redstone-related blocks cannot be placed on them:

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  Redstone dust
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  Redstone repeater
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  Redstone comparator
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  Button
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  Lever
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  Tripwire hook
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  Rail, and its varieties

This list contains the basic forms of blocks that share common properties of conductive blocks. All variants of these blocks (e.g. bricks, smooth, polished, cracked, etc.) are also conductive.

This list contains blocks that share common properties of non-conductive blocks.

Issues relating to "Conductive" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

• Solid block
• Opacity