Why is an aluminium and iron mixture used for power cables ?Please could I have a detailed answer, as detailed as you can make it.Thankyou x
The cables have some few steel wires for strength, and many aluminum ones to carry the current. THey use aluminum instead of copper because it is a lot cheaper and much lighter.
Aluminum is a good conductor that is also inexpensive and lightweight. Those are excellent properties for overhead power cables. Unfortunately, aluminum does not have the greatest tensile strength. So to provide strength to the cable, some iron (in the form of steel) is used as well.
