Copper wire and cable

electrical wire or other conductor made of copper

A copper wire is a single electrical conductor made of copper.[1] It can be insulated or uninsulated. A copper cable is a group of two or more copper wires bundled together in a single sheath or jacket.[1] Copper wire and cable is used in power generation, power transmission, power distribution, telecommunications, electronics circuitry, and countless types of electrical equipment. It has been useful ever since telegraphs and electromagnets were invented.

Copper wire

Copper is the most widely used conductor in many kinds of electrical wiring.[2] Copper has the lowest resistance to the flow of electricity of all non-precious metals. Electrical wiring in buildings is the most important market for the copper industry. About half of all copper mined is used to make electrical wire and cable conductors.

Properties of copper useful for the copper wire

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  • Electrical conductivity
  • Tensile strength
  • Ductility
  • Strength and ductility combination
  • Creep resistance - the copper does not change a lot because of heat.
  • Corrosion resistance
  • Coefficient of thermal expansion
  • Thermal conductivity
  • Solderability
  • Ease of installation

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Albert Jackson; David Day, Popular Mechanics Complete Home How-to (New York: Hearst Books, 2009), p. 282
  2. Adrian Waygood, An Introduction to Electrical Science (Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013), p. 40