Why Is Copper Used So Much In Making Electrical Wires?
Copper is a well-known chemical element with atomic symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It has a beautiful red-orange metallic luster. In the modern days, this reddish metal is used in various areas like in the construction line as a building material, in roofing and plumbing, in industries as a raw material, as a constituent of various metal alloys, and most importantly in the electrical industry for making electrical copper wires that run through your Chicago home.
Copper is used for making electrical wires that are used by your Chicago electrician due to its properties that make it an ideal metal for this purpose. It has emerged as the most used metal for making electrical wires due to the following attributes that it possesses:
Excellent Conductor of Electricity: Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity; no other metal can compete with it in terms of electrical conductivity. The wires made of this reddish metal are capable of carrying comparatively more electric current per diameter of wire. In other words, these wires deplete less electrical charge in comparison to other wires when electric current passes through them.
Very Ductile Metal: Copper is a very ductile metal, which means that it could be stretched to a good length without breaking or weakening it. This property is crucial from the point of view of drawing wires out of any metal. The reddish metal stands well on this parameter.
Favorable Chemical Properties: The chemical properties of this metal go a great deal in making it an ideal element for making electrical wires. Copper’s favorable chemical properties make it resistant to abrasion and other bad effects that shorten the life of a wire. These wires can safely withstand adverse climatic conditions and thus last longer.
High Temperature Tolerance: As we know that electrical wires take current from one place to another. In such a situation, when high voltage current passes through a wire its surface temperature becomes high. There is constant rise and fall in the temperature of high-tension electric lines. Not every wire could sustain such fluctuation in temperature, but copper wire can. This special property makes these wires long-lasting.
Global Standard: Copper wires enjoy a universal or global standard as they are preferred for electrical use worldwide. These wires are compatible with the majority of modern building designs. Selecting these wires for your home or office, therefore, is not only convenient, but facilitates rewiring in the future.
Abundant Quantity: According to several geological surveys, copper is present in abundant quantities under the earth’s crust. It was found in this survey that the total amount of this reddish metal only in the top 1km layer of the earth’s crust is 1014 tons approx. This amount is estimated to be enough for the next 5 million years at the present extraction rate.
