Xref: utzoo sci.electronics:20712 sci.energy:5157
Path: utzoo!utdoe!torag!spocom!luns
From: luns@spocom.guild.org (Luns Tee)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,sci.energy
Subject: Re: Gold saves energy.
Keywords: gold
Message-ID: <7Fs532w164w@spocom.guild.org>
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 91 13:44:05 EDT
References: <2788@umriscc.isc.umr.edu>
Organization: The Spocom Group

jshapiro@mcs213a.cs.umr.edu (Jeff Shapiro) writes:

> I don't have my CRC handy but I'm pretty sure that gold is only used for 
> electrical contacts because it is pretty much inert.  I think both copper
> and aluminum have better resistivities than gold.  

   Gold is third and Aluminum is fifth on the list. Specific resistances 
(resistance of a wire one foot long, one mil diameter, at 20 deg C) are
 
Silver    9.9
Copper   10.4
Gold     14.7
Chromium 15.6
Aluminum 17.0
Titanium 19.2
Sodium   25.9
Magnesium 26.2
Calcium   27.6
Rhodium   28.2
Tungsten  30.1
Manganese 30.1
Molybdenum 31.9
Zinc       34.6
Iridium    36.7
Potassium  36.7
Nickel     41.7
Cadmium    42.3
Indium     50.3
 
 do I need to go on? :-)

   Anyway, Aluminum is used instead of copper in power lines because its 
cheaper. Ontario Hydro says that they've had problems with people 
stealing copper power lines. =:-O
 
   As for Gold (and Chromium) plating, you're right on the money.