gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) (06/13/91)
In article <IVAN%NEPJT.91Jun11205503@nepjt.ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> ivan@nepjt.ncsu.edu (Ivan Maldonado) writes: > >Actually, the advantages due to gold's great conductivity properties >could also be used to significantly reduce the electric power losses during >its transmission (i.e., replace copper with gold in transmission lines). >===> <pooff> goes the forecast of an electric energy crisis... :-) It's so sad to see NC State can't afford a CRC Handbook. Electrical resistance of selected elements in microhm-cm Silver 1.59 Copper 1.673 Gold 2.35 Aluminum 2.6548 Note that gold is much more resistive than copper or silver. Density gm/cc Silver 10.5 Copper 8.96 Gold 19.32 Aluminum 2.6989 Note that gold is much denser than Aluminum, copper, or silver. I won't bore you with tables of tensile strength. Suffice to say Aluminum, copper, and silver all have higher tensile strengths than gold. Aluminum has the best combination of light weight, high conductivity, and tensile strength of the group. It's also plentiful and cheap. Needless to say gold powerlines would be impractical even if gold were free. Gary