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cableThe coaxial cable, which is virtually immune to external interference, consists of two concentric conductors separated by an insulator; the current in the inner conductor draws the current in the outer conductor toward the center rather than letting it dissipate outwards. Because they can carry a large number of signals simultaneously, coaxial cables are also used in cable television systems. The newest form of cable is the fiber-optic cable, developed in the 1970s. Instead of a copper conductor, a silica glass fiber carries digitized signals as pulses of light.
The insulated wire that conducts electricity from generator to consumer is also called a cable; it often contains multiple conductors and must be of sufficient gauge to carry large currents. Its insulation must withstand high voltages.
The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
- cable television
Cable television, the transmission of televised images to viewers by means of coaxial cables. Cable systems receive the television signal, which is sent out over cables to individual subscribe...
- Cable, George Washington
Cable, George Washington, 1844–1925, American author, b. New Orleans. He is remembered primarily for his early sketches and novels of creole life, which established his reputation as an import...
- speedometer
Speedometer, instrument that indicates speed. A cable from an automotive speedometer is attached to the rear of the transmission of an automobile; the cable turns at a rate proportional to the...
- Field, Cyrus West
Field, Cyrus West, 1819–92, American merchant, promoter of the first Atlantic cable, b. Stockbridge, Mass.; brother of David Dudley Field and Stephen J. Field. As head of a paper business, he ...
- Mackay, John William
Mackay, John William, 1831–1902, American financier, b. Dublin, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States in 1840. In 1859 he joined the rush to Nevada, where silver had been discovered. He ...
- River Grove
River Grove, village (1990 pop. 9,961), Cook co., NE Ill., a suburb of Chicago on the Des Plaines River; inc. 1888. Sports equipment and wire cables are made.
- Sundbyberg
Sundbyberg, city (1995 pop. 31,400), Stockholm co., E Sweden, an industrial suburb of Stockholm; founded 1877. Manufactures include chemicals, paper, chocolate, and cables.
- lightning rod
Lightning rod, a rod made of materials, especially metals, that are good conductors of electricity, which is mounted on top of a building or other structure and attached to the ground by a cab...
- winch
Winch, mechanical device for hauling or lifting consisting essentially of a movable drum around which a cable is wound so that rotation of the drum produces a drawing force at the end of the c...
- Enfield, borough, Greater London, England
Enfield, outer borough (1991 pop. 249,100) of Greater London, SE England. It is residential, with important concentrations of industry. Rifles, electrical products, boilers, chemicals, cables,...
