Question

Which one of the following is the best material for making connecting wires?
A. Nichrome
B. Constantan
C. Copper
D. Tungsten

Answer 1

Hint: To make the connecting wires, we need a kind of material which is a good conductor of electricity, offers less resistance to the flow of electric current through and also cheaply available. The material which satisfies these properties out of the given option will be the correct answer to the question.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Connecting wires are a necessary equipment required to connect two devices electrically. The material that is used to make these connecting wires should satisfy certain conditions:
1. The material should be a good conductor of electricity so that it can efficiently conduct electricity from one point to another.
2. It should offer low resistance to the flow of current through it as the high resistance will produce a lot of heat effect which can melt the wire. So, the material should also have a high melting point.
3. It should be cheaply available for making connecting wires.
The best candidate for the connecting wires is Copper. It is a very good conductor of electricity, offers low resistance to the flow of current and has a high melting point and is also cheaply available to make connecting wires.
Hence, the correct answer is option C.

So, the correct answer is “Option C”.

Additional Information: The current flowing through a wire produces a heating effect. The amount of heat produced by a wire is given as by the following expression:
$H = {I^2}Rt$
Here I is the amount of current flowing through the wire, R is the resistance of the wire while t is the time for which the current flows through the wire.

Note: Nichrome wires produce a large heating effect so they are used in heaters and toasters. Constantan wires are commonly used for making resistances as its resistivity does not change much with temperature. Tungsten wires are mostly used in electric bulbs and it readily oxidizes when exposed to air.