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Which metal has the lowest electrical resistivity at room temperature?

Silver, slightly better than copper. Gold is behind both.

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  1. Silver ✔
  2. Copper
  3. Gold

Why: Silver's resistivity is about 1.59 times ten to the minus 8 ohm meters, copper's about 1.72. Copper wins for wiring because it is nearly as good and far cheaper.

Huh, didn't know that: Gold is used on connector contacts not because it conducts best, but because it strongly resists corrosion.

The dad joke
Silver is the best conductor, but copper still runs the whole show on the budget.
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References

Answer: Silver. Silver's resistivity is about 1.59 times ten to the minus 8 ohm meters, copper's about 1.72. Copper wins for wiring because it is nearly as good and far cheaper.

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory Periodic Table, Silver www.lanl.gov/science-engineering/periodic-table/element/silver
    Silver has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals; electricity flows easily through silver, making it ideal for electronics.
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. NASA NTRS, Testing of Electrical Connectors ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20205007983/downloads/20205007983%20c10.pdf
    Gold-plating technology has been widely used to decrease fretting corrosion in electrical contacts.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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