Chapter 17, Problem 38R

To determine

The type of elements that cannot be used in electrical wires along with reason.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Copper is used in electrical wiring because of its:

Conductivity: Copper is the most economical conductor and best conductor of electricity with an output of almost $100\%$ .

Resistivity: Copper has a low resistivity or it can be said that the resistivity of copper is almost negligible.

Strength: The strength of copper is good and it is also less oxidative than the other elements.

Introduction:

Elements that are the bad conductors, do not allow the electricity to pass through them due to the presence of delocalized electrons. Due to this reason these are not used in making the electrical wires. Most non-metals such as plastics wood and rubber are the elements which do not allow passing current through them are not used in making the electrical wires .only graphite is a non-metal which conduct electricity instead of that no non-metal can conduct the electricity.

Conclusion:

Copper is used in building electrical wires because its rate of conductivity in almost $100\%$ . Non-metals such as plastics, wood, and rubber all are the bad conductors of electricity or does not conduct electricity.