Is copper better conductor than aluminum?
Copper is a better conductor as compared to aluminum, aluminium is about 40% less conductive than copper.
The copper does not have a high resistance such as: Copper has the highest electrical conductivity rating of all non-precious metals. Its atoms vibrate less, and so they impede the flow of electrons less.
The electrical resistivities of copper and aluminium are 1.62×10 8Ω m and 2.63×10 8Ω m respectively.
Then, nichrome wire will have more resistance than the copper wire.
Copper is the preferred wiring for your home over aluminum because of its ease of use and ability to effectively conduct electricity. It is more stable, durable, and performs better than aluminum wires. Copper is known to have better Conductivity than Aluminium.
Aluminium is more flexible than copper making it easier to wind in production processes. The higher resistivity of aluminium gives inherently lower eddy losses in the windings. This mitigates the risk for hot spots.
The main difference between aluminum and copper cables is the current carrying capacity and resistance. Aluminum cable has a lower current carrying capacity (by about 40%) and greater resistance (requiring 50% larger cross-sectional area on average) than the equivalent copper conductor.
Copper has a significantly lower electrical volume resistivity: 0.017241 (Ω x mm2)/m for copper, compared to 0.0282 (Ω x mm2)/m for aluminium .
Generally speaking, aluminum and its alloys have excellent resistance to corrosion. Aluminum in its natural state, commercially pure or 1xxx aluminum, has the best corrosion-resistance, but that quality is compromised as alloys, particularly copper and iron but also magnesium or zinc, are added.
Aluminum has 61 percent of the conductivity of copper, but has only 30 percent of the weight of copper. That means that a bare wire of aluminum weighs half as much as a bare wire of copper that has the same electrical resistance.
Which material has highest resistivity?
Note : Nichrome has the highest resistivity and shows the heating effect of electric current because of its high resistance, it opposes the flow of current and hence, it produces a lot of heat.
| Material | Resistivity ρ (ohm m) | |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 1.59 | x10-8 |
| Copper | 1.68 | x10-8 |
| Copper, annealed | 1.72 | x10-8 |
| Aluminum | 2.65 | x10-8 |
In comparison to other metals like gold, silver, and copper, aluminium is a poor heat and electricity conductor. Aluminium has strong conductivity for electricity and heat because it has three electrons in the free state, but its conductivity is lower than copper since it is less dense.
The most electrically conductive element is silver, followed by copper and gold. Silver also has the highest thermal conductivity of any element and the highest light reflectance.
Copper. One of the most commonly used metals to conduct electricity is copper. As a material, copper is pliable, easy to wrap or solder, which makes it the best choice when large amounts of wiring are needed. Copper's core electrical function is related to the transmission of electricity and power generation.
Aluminum is a metal with valence electrons that can easily move between atoms. This means that aluminum does conduct electricity and is a good conductor of electricity. Because of the atomic structure of aluminum, along with its relatively low density, aluminum is often used in electrical transmission wires.