This table shows the resistivity, conductivity and temperature coefficient of various materials at 20 C (68 F)

Material

(m) at 20 C

(S/m) at 20 C

Temperature [note coefficient

1]

Reference

(K )

Silver

1.5910

6.3010

0.0038

[4][5]

Copper

1.6810

5.9610

0.0039

[5]

Annealed copper

[note 2]

1.7210

[citation

5.8010

7 needed]

Gold

[note 3]

2.4410

4.1010

0.0034

[4]

Aluminium

[note 4]

2.8210

3.510

0.0039

[4]

Calcium

3.3610

2.9810

0.0041

Tungsten

5.6010

1.7910

0.0045

[4]

Zinc

5.9010

1.6910

0.0037

[6]

Nickel

6.9910

1.4310

0.006

Lithium

9.2810

1.0810

0.006

Iron

1.010

1.0010

0.005

[4]

Material

(m) at 20 C

(S/m) at 20 C

Temperature [note coefficient

1]

Reference

(K )

Platinum

1.0610

9.4310

0.00392

[4]

Tin

1.0910

9.1710

0.0045

Carbon steel (1010)

1.4310

6.9910

[7]

Lead

2.210

4.5510

0.0039

[4]

Titanium

4.2010

2.3810

Grain oriented electrical steel

4.6010

2.1710

[8]

Manganin

4.8210

2.0710

0.000002

[9]

Constantan

4.910

2.0410

0.000008

[10]

Stainless steel

[note 5]

6.910

1.4510

[11]

Mercury

9.810

1.0210

0.0009

[9]

Nichrome

[note 6]

1.1010

9.0910

0.0004

[4]

GaAs

510

to 1010

510

to 10

[12]

Material

(m) at 20 C

(S/m) at 20 C

Temperature [note coefficient

1]

Reference

(K )

Carbon (amorphous)

510

to 810

1.25 to 210

0.0005

[4][13]

Carbon (graphite)

[note 7]

2.5e10 to 6 5.010 //basal plane 3 3.010 basal plane

2 to 310 //basal plane 2 3.310 basal plane

[14]

Carbon (diamond)

[note 8]

110

12

~10

13

[15]

Germanium

[note 8]

4.610

2.17

0.048

[4][5]

Sea water

[note 9]

210

4.8

[16]

Drinking water

[note 10]

210 to 210

510

to 510

[citation needed]

Silicon

[note 8]

6.4010

1.5610

0.075

[4]

Deionized water

[note 11]

1.810

5.510

[17]

Glass

1010

10

to 1010

14

10

11

to 10

15

[4][5]

Hard rubber

110

13

10

14

[4]

Sulfur

110

15

10

16

[4]

Material

(m) at 20 C

(S/m) at 20 C

Temperature [note coefficient

1]

Reference

(K )

Air

1.310

16

to 3.310

16

310

15

to 810

15

[18]

Paraffin

110

17

10

18

Fused quartz

7.510

17

1.310

18

[4]

PET

1010

20

10

21

Teflon

1010

22

to 1010

24

10

25

to 10

23

The effective temperature coefficient varies with temperature and purity level of the material. The 20 C value is only an approximation when used at other temperatures. For example, the coefficient becomes [19] lower at higher temperatures for copper, and the value 0.00427 is commonly specified at 0 C. The extremely low resistivity (high conductivity) of silver is characteristic of metals. George Gamow tidily summed up the nature of the metals' dealings with electrons in his science-popularizing book, One, Two, Three...Infinity (1947): "The metallic substances differ from all other materials by the fact that the outer shells of their atoms are bound rather loosely, and often let one of their electrons go free. Thus the interior of a metal is filled up with a large number of unattached electrons that travel aimlessly around like a crowd of displaced persons. When a metal wire is subjected to electric force applied on its opposite ends, these free electrons rush in the direction of the force, thus forming what we call an electric current." More technically, the free electron model gives a basic description of electron flow in metals.