Electrical cable Electrical cable An electrical cable is an assembly of one or more wires running side by side or bundled, which is used to carry electric current. The term "cable" originally referred to a nautical line of specific length where multiple ropes are combined to produce a strong thick line that was used to anchor large ships. As electric technology developed, people changed from using bare copper wire to using groupings of wires and various sheathing and shackling methods that resembled the mechanical cabling so the term was adopted for electrical wiring. In the 19th century and early 20th century, electrical
Manganin Manganin Manganin is a trademarked name for an alloy of typically 84% copper, 12% manganese, and 4% nickel. It was first developed by Edward Weston in 1892, improving upon his Constantan (1887). Manganin foil and wire is used in the manufacture of resistors, particularly ammeter shunts, because of its virtually zero temperature coefficient of resistance value and long term stability. Several Manganin resistors served as the legal standard for the ohm in the United States from 1901 to 1990. Manganin wire is also used as an electrical conductor in cryogenic systems, minimizing heat transfer between points which need electrical connections.