One of the properties of metals is that they are good conductors of an electric current. However, wires that are used to conduct electricity may be subjected to highly variable temperatures. Does this temperature change the affect of electrical conductivity? If a wire's ability to conduct electricity is related to its temperature, everything from your electric bill to the speed of your home computer could be adversely affected. It is the purpose of this project to investigate the relationship between temperature and the electrical conductivity of a copper and aluminum wire.
Most of the 112 known elements are crystalline metals. Metals are ductile, malleable, tend to be shiny, most are solid at room temperature, and are good conductors of heat and electricity. The electrical conductivity of a metal is related to the electron structures of metal atoms. Most metals have fewer than 4 valence electrons. These electrons are free to move throughout the crystalline lattice formed by the metal atoms. The electrons move randomly unless an electric field is applied to the metal. The electric field forces cause the electrons to move in a direction opposite the field. This movement produces the electric current.
Temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy of the molecules of a material. As the temperature increases in a crystalline solid such as a metal, the kinetic energy of the atoms increases. This means that the atoms are moving faster but since the metal is a solid, the atoms actually vibrate around a stable position. As the temperature increases, the atoms vibrate with greater amplitude. This has a negative affect on the ability of the metal to conduct an electric current. Thus, the metal has a grater resistance to the flow of electrons that it did at a lower temperature.
It is the purpose of this investigation to show not only if temperature affects the ability of a wire to conduct electricity but also to measure how much the effect is in both copper and aluminum wire.