Best answer
Wires in houses are typically covered with materials such as plastic or rubber since these materials arepoor conductors of electricity and do not enable current to pass. This keeps us from receiving a shock as a result of a short circuit. Socket wires are also covered with plastic or rubber to prevent any chance of contact with live power.
People also ask
Why are electrical cables and wires always covered with rubber?
Why are electrical cables and wires always covered with rubber or plastic? The rubber or plastic serves as electrical insulation (because they are poor conductors). Without insulation, the electricity running in a bare cable would leap over into any other electrically conducting material it touched.
Why are wires covered with plastic to prevent shorting?
This is to prevent the potential on the wire from going anywhere except to the load. Electrical connecting wires are covered with plastic to prevent the wire under the covering from shorting out against each other or shorting out to ground. The electrical terminology for this covering is the wire’s insulation.
What is the electrical covering of a wire called?
The electrical terminology for this covering is the wire’s insulation. These days most electrical wires are covered with a flexible plastic (rubber starts with the sap from a rubber tree; plastic usually starts with a petroleum base).
What happens if you run electricity through rubber or plastic?
The rubber or plastic serves as electrical insulation (because they are poor conductors). Without insulation, the electricity running in a bare cable would leap over into any other electrically conducting material it touched. With enough voltage, a human could be electrocuted.