ARTICLE: MATERIALS USED TO MAKE SPEAKER CABLES

06 December 2021

WIRE MATERIALS (COPPER AND SILVER)

The rise in the use of copper for wires and cables was due to its benefits to send signals throughout the wiring systems. Like almost all cable companies of the world, copper is used for wires as they are the staple material needed to create these simple yet sophisticated products. It is also low cost and low resistance. Thus, needed to be perfectly covered and insulated. In other the other hand, manufacturers also prefer silver due to its better adaptation to function as conductors of electricity. However, they are a little more costly than copper

Silver and Copper wires

 

COMPARING THE MATERIALS

THE PROS OF COPPER WIRES

Compared with other non-precious metals, copper wires can handle a wider load of electrical power, allowing it to use less insulation and armoring. They have high resistance to heat, eliminating most issues of overloading. Copper wires are also resistant to corrosion.

 

THE PROS OF SILVER WIRES

Although silver is an excellent conductor of electricity, it is seldom utilised in electrical wiring due to its high cost. It's a lot more costly than copper, which is the most used wire material. Another reason to avoid using silver is that it rapidly oxidises and tarnishes when exposed to air.

 

HOW FAST DOES A SIGNAL TRAVEL THROUGH COPPER WIRES?

In the case of an electrical cord connecting a table lamp or some other household item to a power source, the copper wire inside the cord acts as the conductor. This energy travels as electromagnetic waves at about the speed of light, which is 670,616,629 miles per hour,1 or 300 million meters per second.

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