An electrician is trying to decide which kind of material to use to wire a house.

carbon steel: conductivity = 1.43 × 10−7, resistanc e = 1 × 1010
copper: conductivity = 5.96 × 107, resistance = 1.68 × 10-8
gold: conductivity = 4.11 × 107, resistance = 2.44 × 10−8
iron: conductivity = 1 × 107, resistance = 1.0 × 10−7
Based on this information, which material should the electrician use?

(1 point)
Responses

iron
iron

copper
copper

carbon steel
carbon steel

gold

1 answer

To determine the best material for wiring a house based on electrical conductivity and resistance, we should focus on conductivity, as higher conductivity means better ability to carry electrical current.

The conductivity values for each material are as follows:

  • Carbon Steel: \(1.43 \times 10^{-7} , \text{S/m}\)
  • Copper: \(5.96 \times 10^7 , \text{S/m}\)
  • Gold: \(4.11 \times 10^7 , \text{S/m}\)
  • Iron: \(1 \times 10^7 , \text{S/m}\)

From these values:

  • Copper has the highest conductivity, making it the best choice for wiring.
  • Gold follows copper but has a lower conductivity.
  • Iron has significantly lower conductivity than both copper and gold.
  • Carbon steel exhibits the lowest conductivity compared to all the given materials.

Given this information, the electrician should choose copper for wiring the house due to its superior conductivity.

Correct answer: copper.