Often times, the terms wires and cables have been used interchangeably in electrical and communications industry. However, they systematically do not mean the same thing. What this article will do for you is to help you understand the difference between these two terms. This article will go a step further to tell you where each can be applied.
Wires
A wire is a single conductor, usually copper or aluminium, which may be thick or a conglomeration of thin strands which are twisted. It is usually coated with an insulator to allow for easy carriage, prevent electrocution or even fire. It is measured using its diameter and accordingly, it is allotted a gauge number. The larger the diameter of the wire, the smaller the gauge number.
The best wires to use for residential applications are those with a gauge of 10 and 20. It is better to use smaller wires as big wires would carry more current and as such, could cause serious damages to household electrical appliances by destroying the fuse or even cause fire outbreak over time. For quality wires, reach out to us at Dante Wires.
Types of Electrical Wires
Standard: This type of wire is made up of many thin strands of wire which are twisted together to form a single conductor. This type of wire is used in applications where flexibility is important and it can be used over a very long time frame. More so, compared to the solid type of wire, standard wires have a larger cross-sectional area.
Solid: This type of wire is made up of a single conductor and is either insulated or not. A coloured material is normally used to cover it. It has a lower resistance and is best used in applications where higher frequencies are required.
Uses of wires
- Wires have different uses, some of which are:
- They are used to carry electricity
- They are used to bear mechanical loads
- They are used for transmitting telecommunication signals
- They are used for heating jewellery
- They are used in automobiles, aircrafts, ships and so on.
Cables
A cable is a group of conductors which are made of the same material (copper or aluminium), each coated with insulator and in different colours. These conductors are arranged parallel to each other and may be twisted or bonded together into a single case.
A cable, depending on what it is used for and the type, may contain a hot wire which is carrying current, a neutral wire to complete the loop and a grounding wire as well. A cable is classified by the total number of wires it is made up of and their gauge. For quality cables, reach out to us at Dante Wires.
Types of Cables
Twisted pair cable: This type of cable in which two (2) conductors of a single circuit are twisted together. This twisting helps to improve electromagnetic compatibility, and can protect against cross-talk and the noise produced by magnetic coupling. It is used to carry signals and is generally used in telecommunication and data communication applications. The most commonly used twisted pair cables have an impedance of about 100 ohms. A typical example of such cable is your LAN/Ethernet cable.
Multi-conductor cable: This type of cable consists of multiple numbers (at least 2) of conductors which are insulated. Strands of annealed tinned copper wires are used in the production of this type of cable and their purpose is to protect the signal integrity. Both twisted pair cables and multi-conductor are known as balanced line configuration cables. This type of cable is used in remote control circuits, data transmission systems, audio and sound systems, video cameras, television studios, etc.
Coaxial cable: A coaxial cable or coax cable is a type of cable consisting of an inner conductor which is surrounded by a concentric conducting shield, both of which are separated by an insulating dielectric and are protected by an outer sheath or jacket. This type of cable finds its application as a transmission line for radio frequency signals, connecting receivers to antennas, computer network connections, digital audio, and distribution of cable television signals. A good example of this type of cable is the LNB (Low-Noise Block downconverter) cable used to connect the decoder to the LNB receiver on the dish.
Fibre optic cable: Also known as optical fibre cable, this type of cable is an assembly similar to an electrical cable, but contains one or more optical fibres which are used to carry light. It contains strands of glass fibres inside an insulated casing and is designed for long-distance, high-performance data networking, and telecommunications. Comparatively, it has a greater bandwidth than metal conductors and that means they can carry more information and data. It can also carry data over longer distances than wired cables. It supports much of the world’s internet, cable television, and telephone systems.
Uses of cables
- They are used for power transmission.
- They are used for transmitting telecommunication signals
- They are used for carrying electricity.
Simple guidelines for handling wires and cables:
- When wires or cables are torn or have an opening, replace them.
- Ensure that every cable and/or wire is polarised and possesses safety closures.
- Keep them out of reach of children.
- Avoid placing wires and cables where they can easily be a trip hazard.
For your top quality wires and cables, reach out to us at Dante Wires.
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