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Question:

Why is pure copper used for making electrical wires?

I need this for homework :(

Answer:

Copper is a very good conductor of electricity plus it is more abundant as compared to other metals which can conduct electricity as well.
It's cheaper than silver and conducts electricity almost as well. Jesse Willms
it's a good conductor and cheaper than the metals that are better conductors.
Hiamp would desire to take his own suggestion. Copper isn't the sparkling decision for distance that he pronounced. maximum ability strains are aluminum, no longer copper. sure, that is not any longer as stable a conductor, so the wires are greater suitable diameter than an equivalent copper. even however, even at that greater suitable diameter, the aluminum is the two greater economical and lighter weight than the copper. For overhead strains, a steel middle is used interior the cable for power. on your challenge, the place will you purchase silver twine? on the same time as silver is the main suitable conductor, i've got in no way heard of that is use as a twine.
At 59.6 × 106 S/m copper has the second highest electrical conductivity of any element, just after silver. This high value is due to virtually all the valence electrons (one per atom) taking part in conduction. The resulting free electrons in the copper amount to a huge charge density of 13.6x109 C/m3. This high charge density is responsible for the rather slow drift velocity of currents in copper cable (drift velocity may be calculated as the ratio of current density to charge density). For instance, at a current density of 5x106 A/m2 (typically, the maximum current density present in household wiring and grid distribution) the drift velocity is just a little over ? mm/s.

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