Copper greater strength than monocrystalline forms. The softness of copper partly explains its high electrical conductivity (59.6×10 S/m) and high thermal conductivity, second highest (second only to silver) among pure metals at room temperature. This is because the resistivity to electron transport in metals at room temperature originates primarily from scattering of electrons on thermal vibrations of the lattice, which are relatively weak in a soft metal. The maximum permissible current density of copper in open air is approximately 3.1×10 A/m of cross-sectional area, above which it begins to heat excessively. Copper is one of a few metallic elements with a
Thermal conductivity given thickness of a material, that particular sample's "thermal resistance" and the reciprocal property, "thermal conductance", can be calculated. Unfortunately, there are differing definitions for these terms. Thermal conductivity, "k", often depends on temperature. Therefore, the definitions listed below make sense when the thermal conductivity is temperature independent. Otherwise a representative mean value has to be considered; for more, see the Equations section below. For general scientific use, "thermal conductance" is the quantity of heat that passes in unit time through a plate of "particular area and thickness" when its opposite faces differ in temperature by one kelvin. For a