You certainly come across several wires and cables inside and outside the house. But, can you count three differences between both? Not just you, but a considerable percentage of people remain confused regarding variability.

Every electrical device consists of cables or wires. Both appear similar, but there are several differences in their function, composition, and use.

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Wire and its types

A wire consists of single or multiple strands of conductive material like aluminum or copper. Both are the most preferred conductive metals for wires due to their cheaper cost and low resistance.

There are two types of wires, stranded and solid ones. 

Solid wires face lesser damage and are incredibly versatile. They are made up of a single conductor; thus, they are also cheaper to manufacture. On the other hand, stranded wire is made with two or more conductors twisted together, forming a single wire. They are expensive but offer greater flexibility and a longer lifespan than solid wires.

Stranded wires are used for connecting a variety of devices. They are the first choice for use in tools where the wiring must move around frequently. Solid wires are used in equipment where not much movement is required. They are popularly used in printed circuit boards.

During the early 90s, electricians preferred using solid copper wires for internal electrical wiring. Now, they prefer stranded ones.

What’s a cable?

A cable consists of multiple wires braided or twisted together and insulated to offer better protection. Cables are mostly preferred for transmitting power, telecommunications, and other electrical signals. Some of the most widely used cables are coaxial, multi-conductor, fiber optic, and twisted pair cables.

A twisted pair cable is used for connecting data and telecommunication as it protects the signals from the magnetic coupling.

Multi-conductor cables are another type of cable used in data, audio signals, and sound transmission due to their ability to reduce noise, crosstalk, and humming.

A coaxial cable consists of a solid inner conductor and paralleled outer foil conductor. Both are separated with the help of an insulating dielectric. This type of cable is used as a part of cable TV and broadband lines. The signal in both conductors is not the same. It offers better performance than a twisted cable despite being an unbalanced line.

Fiber optics cable is another popular and preferred type of cable. It consists of a conductor made from a bundle of glass threads. Such cable carries more data due to the higher bandwidth. Thus, they are slowly replacing copper cables despite being expensive.

It is advisable to buy cables and wires only from reputed brands like Polycab. The wire and cable manufacturer uses the latest technology and high-quality materials. In addition, the company ensures its cables and wires comply with local and international standards. Polycab has been around for several decades and earned a superb market reputation. It supplies wires and cables that are used in a variety of applications.

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