Topic: gold plated connectors...

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may be a dumb questions, but why are gold plated connectors so good?  coppers a better conductor than gold, so why not use copper? 

[Nick Culbreth]

gold doesn't oxidate.

[Sean Gallemore]

gold doesn't oxidate.

chemistry ruled!

I wish I was still taking classes

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gold doesn't oxidate.

that's what i figured, thanks for anwsering my question +T

[1st set only]

would a hot glue gun solve the oxidation problem?

[JasonSobel]

would a hot glue gun solve the oxidation problem?

only it might be hard to plug your mic cables into your pre if the XLR connector is filled with hot glue 

[jpschust]

for some reason i remember when copper oxidizes it actually becomes a better conductor (one of the only, if not the only metal that does that)

[Tim]

for some reason i remember when copper oxidizes it actually becomes a better conductor (one of the only, if not the only metal that does that)

this is true

[jk labs]

may be a dumb questions, but why are gold plated connectors so good?  coppers a better conductor than gold, so why not use copper? 

The issue is more complex than that!

Gold-gold plated connections will maintain a low impedance connection for years to come provided BOTH connectors are plated with gold. This is so because gold does not oxidize.
 
For gold/non-gold connections the matter is reversed: the non-gold connector degrades "rapidly" because there is no protective layer developing that can prevent agressive chemicals from diffusing in along the gold boundary and oxidize the entire conductive surface and thereby cause a very poor electrical connection.

Jon

PS Despite claims to the contrary CuO2 is not a conductor!!

[jpschust]

but this doesnt make sense to me.  if copper becomes a better conductor as it ages and oxidizes, why wouldnt copper be the "gold standard" if you will, for everything

[Brian]

jonny check out this link it might answer your question.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99154.htm

jk knows what he is talking about

edit: to put it simply corrosion(oxidization) = increase of resistance thus CuO is not a good conductor at all. 

[jpschust]

yah im just trying to better understand it myself :-)  ty for the link.

[Brian]

no problem bud, just trying to help! popular belief can be quite hazardous to attaining the truth in some cases

[Tim]

thanks for the link!

[BCostigan]

Jonny I thought we went through this......maybe we did and I was wrong.

In my world the oxidized copper is far less conductive.  I'm sure Justin does this too....every time I make an electrical connection to an old piece of (green) copper I have to remove the oxidized layer with a wire brush to get the best connection.  If the green copper was MORE condutive we'd leave it.


My thought is this:

Air is an isulator....so an oxidized layer will have a greater insulation vaule.