how much voltage does it take to melt copper?

Question

i took apart a stereo to get the motors out of the CD player but i got bored and put it back together and a wire wasnt connected right or sumtin and the fuse blew so i used a penny and it looked like it was starting to melt after i short circuited it i want to know how much voltage it would have took to do that

being safe isnt as fun

and besides i did it with insulated pliers

i know its unsafe thats why i took it out im just going to take parts out of the stereo now

i think i know what happened to blow the fuse i accidentaly knocked it out and when i put it back in it went in backwards

it wasnt 2400 watts either because i pulled it out with pliers and lightly tapped it with my finger to see if it was hot and it was a little warm but not hot

Answer 1

Tricky question.
First off, a penny is no longer made of copper. Assuming you had a short circuit on the line in, it was 120 volts. The outlet is fused at either 15 or 20 amps, so there's plenty of potential for some serious heat - up to 2400 watts worth!
Next time you get bored, you might want to try something a little safer.

Answer 2

It takes current to melt copper or other conductors -- not voltage.

The melting point of copper is approximately 1984 °F.

Using a penny is acting for trouble. You've basically removing the protective device from the circuit.

Keep it up and you'll become as a future Darwin award runner-up.

Answer 3

It isn't the voltage that causes the melting, it's the current (amps). How much it takes depends on the resistance in the conductor, how much cooling is available, and how long the current flows for.

Answer 4

i'm glad u had fun taking apart MY stereo.
i'm also glad u had fun blowing MY fuse in MY stereo!!!:)