How is gold used in wiring?

Answer 1

Gold is also another commonly used metal in wires and cables. It's usually coated around other metal strands because it's an inexpensive metal to use as the sole conductor. Gold is highly conductive and offers a superior level of electrical conductivity compared to copper, silver, and aluminum

Answer 2

Gold wire is often used to make gold jewelry such as necklaces or bracelets where its high value is part of the reason for using it, as well as the fact that it does not tarnish when exposed to the air. Gold is not often used for electrical wiring because of its high cost as a metal but it is often used to make the edge connectors on printed circuit boards because it does not wear away or tarnish as easily as silver or copper. For the same reason gold is sometimes used to make the contacts in electrical switches. Copper is the metal most used for wiring because it conducts electricity well without overheating. Copper is much cheaper to buy than silver or gold which can both conduct electricity even better than copper. However copper easily corrodes or tarnishes if it is exposed to the atmosphere because it is attacked by acids in the air: copper is sometimes used to cover a roof and over a long time such as 20 years it can often turn bright green! So copper wire that has to be used outside is usually protected by a plastic coating to keep the air away from it. If several wires are placed next to one another to make an electric cable then each wire is given a different colored plastic coating to help identify which wire is which and to insulate the wires safely from one another.