Why don't we use silver electrical wires?

Question

Science question:
Most electric wires are made of copper and aluminum. Silver is an excellent conductor. Again, why don't we use silver electrical wires?

Answer 1

Several properties are required in a conductor for it to be useful. The electrical conductivity of the material, the thermal conductivity of the material, it's ductility (ability to be formed), it's mass, and it's availability.

When choosing between silver, copper, and aluminum, we need to look at all of these.

Silver is the best conductor at 6301000 ohm/m. However, it is also the heaviest material, and is less ductile (as a wire) than the other two tend to be.

Copper is the next best conductor, at 59610000 ohm/m and has only about 59 percent of the mass of silver.

Aluminum is the lightest (at slightly less than half the mass of copper), but its conductivity is also lower (at 37710000 ohm/m). What this means is that it can't carry as much current per pound as copper.

Finally, both copper and aluminum are fairly easily obtainable, whereas silver is much less so.

All things together, that's why copper and aluminum are used in wiring far more often than other metals (like silver, gold, and platinum).

Answer 2

silver is rear compared to copper or aluminium, so it is expensive. If we can work out well with opper or aluminium wires, why use silver(which is expensive).

Answer 3

Gold is better, why don't we use it ?