Basic Concept of Electricity

According to the atomic theory, every material is made up from the atoms. This atom
consists of centrally charged nucleus with a surrounded electrons based on Niels Bohr
atom model. The nucleus consists of neutrons and positively charged protons. Electrons
are negatively charged particles and rotate around the nucleus. This atom has an equal
number of protons and electrons and a great force of attraction exist between these
opposite charges results the electrons to track the nucleus.

Bohrs model gives the distribution of electrons in each shell of an atom. The most
importantly the valence shell which is an outermost cell from the nucleus consists of
eight electrons and never more than that. These electrons are at furthermost distance
from the nucleus so some extra energy is required to make these electrons free. These
electrons flow gives the electricity. But number of electrons in the outermost valence
shell decides the electricity flow because the energy of the shell is shared by the
electrons in it. Each electron has one eight of the shells energy if that valence shell has
eight electrons.
Hence great amount of external energy is required to make the electrons free so that
the electricity is produced. Generally the materials which are not having free electrons in
the outermost cell are called as insulators. Typically insulators have five to seven
valence electrons in its valance shell. In other hand materials with one valence electron
requires a little energy to free the electrons, so that the current is produced and the
materials are called as conductors. Typically conductors have two or three valence
electrons. These good conductors include silver, copper, aluminum, gold, etc. In prior to
this, materials with four valence electrons that have both conductor and insulator

properties called as semiconductors.

As from above atomic theory, the flow of electrons gives the electricity. We know that
like charges repel whereas unlike charges attract. The separation the charges makes
negative charges to accumulate at one terminal and positive charges to other terminal
with the application of source. The current starts to flow when the path is made between
these two charges. The unit of the charge is Coulomb and it has a charge of 6.25 X
1018 electrons. The external force or voltage applied causes the charge to move and the
rate at which the charge flow is decided by the amount of voltage applied.

A metal is an element with high electrical conductivity or malleability when in the solid
state. In each row of the periodic table, the metals occur to the left of the nonmetals,
and thus a metal has fewer possible valence electrons than a nonmetal. However, a
valence electron of a metal atom has a small ionization energy, and in the solid state
this valence electron is relatively free to leave one atom in order to associate with
another nearby. Such a "free" electron can be moved under the influence of an electric
field, and its motion constitutes an electric current; it is responsible for the electrical
conductivity of the metal. Copper, aluminium, silver, and gold are examples of good
conductors.

A nonmetallic element has low electrical conductivity; it acts as an insulator. Such an

element is found toward the right of the periodic table, and it has a valence shell that is
at least half full (the exception is boron). Its ionization energy is large; an electron
cannot leave an atom easily when an electric field is applied, and thus such an element
can conduct only very small electric currents. Examples of solid elemental insulators are
diamond (an allotrope of carbon) and sulfur.

Mechanical & Physical Properties of

Conductor Materials (Average Values)
COPPER ALUMINUM
Melting PointF 1981 1215
Melting PointC 1083 657
Density, lb/cu. in 0.323 0.0977
Tensile Strength, ksi 35 15
Thermal Conductivity @ 68F
224 135
Btu/sq. ft./ft./hr./F
Electrical Resistivity @ 68F
10.37 16.96
ohm-cir mil/ft
Linear Coeficient of Expansion
9.4 13.1
(68-212F) micro in./in.F
 Special Heat
0.092 0.215
Btu/lb.F

Breaking strength
Bare copper and aluminum wire
MEDIUM HARD DRAWN COPPER SOFT ANNEALED COPPER
HARD DRAWN
3/4 HARD DRAWN ALUMINUM HALF HARD ALUMINUM
Size Approx. Breaking Weight Approx.
AWG Breaking Weight in Pounds Breaking Weight
in Pounds Min. Avg. Max. in Pounds
CU AL CU AL CU AL CU AL CU AL
18.. 85... 32... 68.. 22. 72.. 25. 77.. 28. 49......... 22.....
16.. 135.. 54... 106.. 32. 113.. 38. 120.. 42. 78......... 33.....
14.. 213.. 92... 167.. 55. 178.. 65. ..189.. 72. 124......... 57.....
12.. 337.. 144... 262.. 87. 279.. 103. 297.. 113. 197......... 90.....
10.. 529.. 212... 410.. 139. 439.. 163. 468.. 180. 314......... 143.....
9.. 661.. 262... 514.. 175. 550.. 206. 586.. 226. 380......... 180.....
8.. 826.. 324... 644.. 221. 689.. 260. 735.. 286. 480......... 228.....
6.. 1281.. 495... 1010.. 351. 1082.. 412. 1155.. 454. 763......... 361.....
4.. 1970.. 768... 1580.. 545. 1697.. 640. 1814.. 705. 1213......... 560.....
3.. 2439.. 971... 1984.. 703. 2129.. 826. 2274.. 910. 1530......... 724.....
2.. 3003.. 1225... 2450.. 885. 2632.. 1040. 2815.. 1145. 1929......... 912.....
1.. 3687.. 1542... 3024.. 1120. 3254.. 1315. 3484.. 1450. 2432......... 1150.....
1/0.. 4518.. 1950... 3730.. 1410. 4020.. 1660. 4310.. 1825. 2984......... 1451.....
2/0.. 5518.. 2460... 4598.. 1780. 4964.. 2100. 5330.. 2305. 3762......... 1831.....
3/0.. 6722.. 3100... 5677.. 2240. 6166.. 2640. 6590.. 2900. 4745......... 2305.....
4/0.. 8144.. 3900... 6980.. 2830. 7562.. 3320. 8144.. 3660. 5983......... 2910.