# over length of wire/cable how fast does electricity decay?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-length-of-wire-cable-how-fast-does-electricity-decay/360975>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 16, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-length-of-wire-cable-how-fast-does-electricity-decay/360975 "2006-06-16T18:45:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-length-of-wire-cable-how-fast-does-electricity-decay/360975/1 "2006-06-16T18:45:47Z")

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I don’t know what the proper vocabulary is, but if you start with a power plant at point zero, what is the rate of decay as it travels over whatever substance is commonly used? In othwords, how far away can renewable energy sources like geysers “send” their energy via cable/wires?

Hope this question makes sense. 😉

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-length-of-wire-cable-how-fast-does-electricity-decay/360975/2 "2006-06-16T19:23:19Z")

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> [@drhess](#):
>
> I don’t know what the proper vocabulary is, but if you start with a power plant at point zero, what is the rate of decay as it travels over whatever substance is commonly used? In othwords, how far away can renewable energy sources like geysers “send” their energy via cable/wires?
> 
> Hope this question makes sense. 😉

What you are describing is resistance, and it is a function of the cross section and metallic composition of the transmission cable. Also, the electrical source plays a big part in this. For a given amount of power generated, you can transmit farther the higher the voltage which is why the power grid works at such high voltages. FWIW, electrical power=voltage \* current, so for a given power number, the higher the voltage the lower the current. Transmission losses are in volts, and are a result of current times resistance.

Then, with AC transmission, there’s also the matter of inductive/capacitive loads and power factors, which mean even more transmission losses.

There is no easy, off the cuff answer for your question.