Question

Design Technology Quick Check
5 of 55 of 5 Items
Question
An electrician is trying to decide which kind of material to use to wire a house.

carbon steel: conductivity = 1.43 × 10−7, resistance = 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

gold
gold

iron
iron

copper
copper

carbon steel

Answer 1

To determine the best material for wiring a house based on conductivity and resistance, we need to look for a material that has high conductivity (which allows electrical current to flow easily) and low resistance (which means less energy loss).

Here's a summary of the materials based on their conductivity (S/m) and resistance (Ω·m):

1. **Carbon Steel**
- Conductivity: \(1.43 \times 10^{-7}\)
- Resistance: \(1 \times 10^{10}\)

2. **Copper**
- Conductivity: \(5.96 \times 10^{7}\)
- Resistance: \(1.68 \times 10^{-8}\)

3. **Gold**
- Conductivity: \(4.11 \times 10^{7}\)
- Resistance: \(2.44 \times 10^{-8}\)

4. **Iron**
- Conductivity: \(1 \times 10^{7}\)
- Resistance: \(1.0 \times 10^{-7}\)

**Analysis:**
- **Copper** has the highest conductivity and the lowest resistance among the listed materials, making it the optimal choice for wiring in terms of efficiency and performance.

- **Gold** is also a good conductor but is not as good as copper in terms of conductivity and is also typically more expensive.

- **Carbon Steel** and **Iron** have significantly lower conductivity and much higher resistance, making them less suitable for electrical wiring.

Given this analysis, the best choice for the electrician is **copper**.