Everyone is familiar with wires and cables, but do you know the difference between wires and cables?
The difference in materials
Wire is a conductive metal wire used to carry electric current. Available in solid, twisted or foil braided forms. According to the insulation condition, they are divided into two categories: bare wires and insulated wires. A cable is an insulated wire consisting of one or more mutually insulated conductive cores placed in a sealed sheath. A protective covering layer can be added to the outside. The difference between wires and cables is that wires are generally smaller in size and simpler in structure, but sometimes cables are also classified as wires in a broad sense.
Differences in uses
Bare wire is a wire that is not covered with any insulation or protective layer. In addition to being used as wires for transmitting electrical energy and information, it can also be used to manufacture components and connecting wires for motors and electrical appliances. Generally used are copper, aluminum, copper alloy, and aluminum alloy. In addition, there are various insulated wires suitable for special requirements, such as low-voltage wires for automobiles, high-voltage ignition wires for automobiles, electrical and motor lead wires, aviation wires, compensation wires, etc. Cables are used to transmit and distribute electrical energy or transmit electrical signals. Cables can be divided into power cables, communication cables and control cables according to their uses.
The difference in structure
The main difference between power cables and ordinary wires is that the cables are larger in size and have a more complex structure. The cable is mainly composed of the following four parts. Conductive wire core: Made of high conductivity material. Insulating layer: The insulating material used as a cable should have high insulation resistance and high breakdown electric field strength. Cables are often classified by insulation materials.