constantan

con·stan·tan

C0588200 (kŏn′stən-tăn′)n. An alloy of 45 percent nickel and 55 percent copper, used chiefly in electrical instruments because of its constant resistance under variations of temperature.

[From constant.]

constantan

(ˈkɒnstənˌtæn) n (Metallurgy) an alloy of copper (60 per cent) and nickel (40 per cent). It has a high resistivity that does not vary significantly with temperature and is used in resistors and, with copper, in thermocouples[C20: formed from constant]

con•stant•an

(ˈkɔn stənˌtæn)

n. an alloy containing approximately 55 percent copper and 45 percent nickel, used for electrical resistance heating and thermocouples. [1900–05; constant + -an]

Thesaurus

Noun

constantan - an alloy of copper and nickel with high electrical resistance and a low temperature coefficient; used as resistance wireEurekacopper-base alloy - any alloy whose principal component is copper

Translations

Constantan

enUK

constantan

[kən′stan·tən] (metallurgy) An alloy containing 45% nickel and 55% copper, used to form iron-constantan and copper-constantan thermocouples.

Constantan

a cupronickel alloy characterized by low dependence of resistance on temperature. The constantan produced in the USSR contains 39–41 percent nickel, 1–2 percent manganese, and the balance copper. The specific resistance of constantan is about 0.48 microhm.m at 20°C, and the temperature coefficient of resistance after special heat treatment (stabilizing annealing) is about 2 × 10−6 1/⁰K; melting point, 1260°C.

Constantan is used in electrical engineering for the manufacture of rheostats and of elements in measuring devices. A short-coming of constantan is its high thermoelectromotive force (about 39 microvotts per degree Kelvin) in contact with copper. For this reason it is seldom used in high-precision instruments, since the random heating of any contact generates a current in the circuit that distorts the readings of the instrument. Manganin is usually used in the most critical cases. With copper or iron, constantan forms thermocouples that are suitable for measuring temperatures of up to 500°C.

L. L. ZHUKOV

constantan

con·stan·tan

constantan

con•stant•an

Constantan

constantan

Constantan

constantan

Synonyms for constantan

noun an alloy of copper and nickel with high electrical resistance and a low temperature coefficient

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