2. Copper wire can be divided into two
categories: solid and stranded. In the case of
solid wire, one strand of flexible copper wire
is used. Sometimes it is bare, other times it is
encased by insulating material. Solid wire is
more rigid than it’s stranded counterpart.
Because it is not easily bent, it is most often
applied as a permanent copper wire, such as
those used as magnet wires in motors and
transformers.
3. Stranded copper wire, on the other
hand, contains a cluster of copper wires which
are braided or simply twisted together. There are
several key benefits to stranded wire that do not
exist in solid wire, most importantly that it is
flexible. Flexibility makes stranded wire easier to
install. Also, stranded wire is more durable in
applications where the wire will be exposed to
vibration, and stranded wire can be
manufactures to have the same resistance
characteristics.
4. A copper cable is made by braiding together
multiple wires which run together in a single
unit. In order to make the copper cable more
flexible, the manufacturer may strand the
wires that comprise the cable. Plating the
copper wires within the cable with another
metal, usually tin but sometimes gold or
silver, is done in order to reduce
oxidation, which extends the life of the cable.
Plating the wires also facilitates soldering.
5. Flexible copper cables can also be designed to
cancel out electromagnetic interference from
other sources. One way to accomplish that end is
to use twisted pair cabling, which is a type of
wiring in which two conductors of a single circuit
are twisted together. Another design that
reduces electromagnetic interference is the
coaxial cable. This flexible product is comprised
of a copper wire at it’s core, which is then
covered by a tubular insulating layer. The
insulating layer is in turn surrounded by a second
conducting shield of flexible copper and is then
finally encased in a final insulated sheath.
6. Twisted pair cable is widely used to build
communication networks such as telephone
lines, Cable TV and Internet connections.
Because of its low cost when compared to
that of optical fire and coaxial cable, flexible
twisted pair copper cable is the most
common cable used in constructing data
networks.
7. Coaxial cables are used to build computer networks
and to distribute the Internet. Other common
applications include the distribution of video and
Cable TV, RF and microwave transmission and as
feedlines that connect radio transmitters and
receiver to their antennas. Coaxial cables can
span larger distances and provide better protection
against
electromagnetic
interference;
however, when connecting devices over a short
distance or between offices, it is harder to work with.
Therefore, it is not typically used to build office
networks and is being replaced by fiber optic cables
which provide larger capacity.
8. Building wire is the most common use of
flexible copper wires. It is used to distribute
power throughout structures ranging from
mobile homes and residential structures to
commercial property and industrial buildings.
It is also used in the electrical systems of
automobiles and boats.
