Why Copper is Used to Make Electrical Wires
In electrical wiring, copper used in making electrical wires for reliable operation. Do you know why copper is used to make electrical wires? So let’s keep reading, in this article you learn about this.
For reliable operation of electrical equipment, electrical wire plays an important role. Due to this, the material used for making electrical wires should be economical and of excellent quality.
As compared to other metals copper metal possesses properties that are suitable for making electric cables and wires. So let’s see these properties of copper, that’s it, suitable for making electrical wire.
As before seeing the properties of copper, firstly we would see some useful information about copper.
| Colour of Copper | Reddish-Brown |
| Symbol | Cu |
| Family in Periodic Table | Group 11 (IB) Transition metal |
| Atomic number | 29 |
| Melting Point | 1084.62°C |
| Boiling Point | 2,560°C |
| Density | 8.96 g/cm3 |
Why copper is used to make electrical wires?
As said before copper is used to make electrical wires because copper has expected properties. Below are the properties of copper, so that it suitable for making electric wire.
Conductivity
Conductivity refers to the ability to conduct electricity. After the silver, copper has an excellent conductor of electricity as compared to other metals.
Hence, electricity can be transmitted easily through copper conductors. The conductivity of copper is 65% higher than aluminium.
Without increasing cost, you can perform specific operations. Due to this Copper is the first choice of electrical companies to make electrical wires.
Tensile strength
Tensile strength means the capacity of a material to breaking under tension. Copper has higher tensile strength compared to aluminium and it is 200-250 N/mm2.
Using copper, companies can create longer, better performing electrical wires.
Solderability
It is a desirable property in electrical systems. When you essential to make the durable connection, copper is readily soldered.
Availabilty
It does not matter how good the conductivity of metal is if the availability of these metal finds is hard. According to several geological surveys, copper is abundantly present in the earth’s crest.
Due to this reason, you can see copper used by various manufacturers. This is reason enough why Copper is used to making electrical wires.
Favorable Chemical Properties
The chemical properties of copper are ideal for making electrical wires. Copper’s favourable chemical properties increase the life of wire and safely withstand adverse climatic conditions.
Coefficient of thermal expansion
In electrical systems due to the current, the conductor heat and expand their size. But copper has less coefficient of thermal expansion as compared to aluminium.
Aluminium expands nearly one third more than copper under increasing temperatures.
Resistant to corrosion
Generally, copper resists corrosion from vapours, humidity, industrial pollution, and other atmospheric effects. It is a good thing for the conductor.
It’s mean that copper wire is less likely to be corroded in wet conditions.
High Ductility
The ductile properties of copper allow copper electrical wires to bend and flex. Copper has high ductility and flexibility.
You can bend copper at some angle. It is often required for electrical wiring.
Electrical wires often travel through walls, floors, ceilings and other tight spaces. As a result, they bend naturally. They transmit electricity without losing any energy.
Thermal Resistant
Copper has thermal resistant property. Most of time electrical fire is responsible for commercial and residential fire.
The benefits of copper electrical wires are to safer and resist heat as compared to other conductive metals.
Inexpensive
Copper metal is cheaper than others. for example, gold or silver are good conductors of electricity.
When you need wire to perform any operation, your cost increases when you use wire made of silver or gold.
With copper wire, you can accomplish specific operations with the required advantages without increasing cost.
Why copper is used in electrical wiring instead of silver?
Silver metal has more conductivity than copper, but Silver metal is very costly as compared to copper.
Copper or Aluminium wire provides the particular benefit required without adding a huge amount of cost.
Some of the properties of copper are useful for making wire which is not in silver. Due to this reason, copper is used in electrical wiring instead of silver.
Also read:
Why are electric wires coated with PVC?
Conclusion for why copper is used to make electrical wires
Copper metal has a lot of properties or features such as conductivity, tensile strength, high ductility, inexpensive, thermal resistance, resistance to corrosion, soldering capability, favourable chemical properties, resistance to corrosion, availability, etc.
So the above properties of copper make it useful for electrical wiring.
I hope you got the answer to why copper is used to making electrical wires.
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