Wire

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wire

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is wire and how is it made?Wire is a thin strand of metal that is made by pulling a metal rod through a series of tapered dies, which makes it thinner and stronger. This process is called wire drawing and lets us produce many wires at once.
2. Why do we use copper or aluminum for electrical wires?Copper and aluminum have lots of free electrons that can move easily when electricity flows, so they conduct electricity very well. That’s why they are the most common metals for power and data cables.

Electrical Conductivity: A measure of a material's ability to conduct electric current, quantified by Siemens per meter.
Tensile Strength: The maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking.
Superconductor: A material that can conduct electricity with zero electrical resistance below a certain critical temperature.