How many volts can pass through a copper wire before it burns out?

Answer

Dear Thomas and Amos

You ask how many volts can pass through a copper wire before it burns out.

The answer is – as with many questions – it depends on a lot of things.

The two most important things are the thickness of the wire, and the current that flows through it (expressed in amperes). (And not the voltage -in volts- that is written across it.)

For a domestic electrical circuit (230V) it is recommended that no more than 20 A through a copper wire with a cross section of 2.5 mm² to send. If you send more through it, the fine copper wire (a few tenths of a mm²) in the (classic) fuse blow.

Don’t forget that you should never experiment with this yourself!

Regards
Geert