11/7/2016 CopperVersusAluminumConductors

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IntroductiontoElectricalConductors,
StrandedWiresandCables ConductorInsulation
WiringTechniques,andSchematic
Reading

COPPERVERSUSALUMINUMCONDUCTORS

Althoughsilveristhebestconductor,itscostlimitsitsusetospecialcircuits.Silverisused
whereasubstancewithhighconductivityorlowresistivityisneeded.

Thetwomostcommonlyusedconductorsarecopperandaluminum.Eachhaspositiveandnegative
characteristicsthataffectitsuseundervaryingcircumstances.

Acomparisonofsomeofthecharacteristicsofcopperandaluminumisgivenintable14.

Table14.ComparativeCharacteristicsofCopperandAluminum

CHARACTERISTICS COPPER ALUMINUM

Tensilestrength(lb/in 2 ). 55,000 25,000

Tensilestrengthforsameconductivity(lb). 55,000 40,000
Weightforsameconductivity(lb). 100 48
Crosssectionforsameconductivity(C.M.). 100 160
Specificresistance( /milft). 10.6 17

Copperhasahigherconductivitythanaluminum.Itismoreductile(canbedrawnout).Copperhas
relativelyhightensilestrength(thegreateststressasubstancecanbearalongitslengthwithout
tearingapart).Itcanalsobeeasilysoldered.However,copperismoreexpensiveandheavierthan
aluminum.

Althoughaluminumhasonlyabout60percentoftheconductivityofcopper,itslightnessmakeslong
spanspossible.Itsrelativelylargediameterforagivenconductivityreducescorona.Coronais
thedischargeofelectricityfromthewirewhenithasahighpotential.Thedischargeisgreater
whensmallerdiameterwireisusedthanwhenlargerdiameterwireisused.However,therelatively
largesizeofaluminumforagivenconductancedoesnotpermittheeconomicaluseofaninsulation
covering.

Q.14Statetwoadvantagesofusingaluminumwireforcarryingelectricityoverlongdistances.

Q.15Statefouradvantagesofcopperoveraluminumasaconductor.

TEMPERATURECOEFFICIENT

Theresistanceofpuremetals,suchassilver,copper,andaluminum,increasesasthetemperature
increases.However,theresistanceofsomealloys,suchasconstantanandmanganin,changesvery
littleasthetemperaturechanges.Measuringinstrumentsusethesealloysbecausetheresistanceof
thecircuitsmustremainconstanttogetaccuratemeasurements.

Intable11,theresistanceofacircularmilfootofwire(the specificresistance )isgivenata

specifictemperature,20Cinthiscase.Itisnecessarytoestablishastandardtemperature.Aswe
statedearlier,theresistanceofpuremetalsincreaseswithanincreaseintemperature.Therefore,
atruebasisofcomparisoncannotbemadeunlesstheresistancesofallthesubstancesbeing
comparedaremeasuredatthesametemperature.Theamountofincreaseintheresistanceofa1ohm
sampleoftheconductorperdegreeriseintemperatureabove0Ciscalledthetemperature
coefficientofresistance.Forcopper,thevalueisapproximately0.00427ohm.

Alengthofcopperwirehavingaresistanceof50ohmsataninitialtemperatureof0Cwillhave
anincreaseinresistanceof50X0.00427,or0.214ohms.Thisappliestotheentirelengthofwire
andforeachdegreeoftemperatureriseabove0C.A20Cincreaseinresistanceisapproximately
20X0.214,or4.28ohms.Thetotalresistanceat20Cis50+4.28,or54.28ohms.

Q.16Definethetemperaturecoefficientofresistance.
Q.17Whathappenstotheresistanceofcopperwhenitisheated?

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