What is Copper wire and cable?
[[File:Lautsprecherkabel Makro nah.jpg|thumb|Copper wire]] A '''copper wire''' is a single [[electrical conductor]] made of [[copper]].<ref name=Jackson282>Albert Jackson; David Day, ''Popular Mechanics Complete Home How-to'' (New York: Hearst Books, 2009), p. 282</ref> It can be [[Insulator (electricity)|insulated]] or uninsulated. A '''copper cable''' is a group of two or more copper [[wire]]s bundled together in a single sheath or jacket.<ref name=Jackson282/> Copper wire and [[cable]] is used in [[power generation]], [[power transmission]], [[power distribution]], [[telecommunications]], [[Electrical circuit|electronics circuitry]], and countless types of electrical equipment. It has been useful ever since [[telegraph]]s and [[electromagnet]]s were invented. Copper is the most widely used conductor in many kinds of [[electricity|electrical]] wiring.<ref>Adrian Waygood, ''An Introduction to Electrical Science'' (Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013), p. 40</ref> Copper has the lowest [[Electrical resistance|resistance]] to the flow of electricity of all non-[[precious metal]]s. Electrical wiring in [[buildings]] is the most important [[market]] for the copper industry. About half of all copper [[Mining|mined]] is used to make electrical wire and cable conductors. == Properties of copper useful for the copper wire == * 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 == {{reflist}} [[Category:Electrical wiring]] {{Tech-stub}}