Is Gold a Good Conductor of Electricity?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 12, 2020

Gold is a very good conductor of electricity. It is often used as plating for connectors because it does not tarnish or corrode easily.

Even though copper and silver are better conductors than gold, gold retains its conductivity longest because it does not tarnish or corrode easily. For this reason, gold is most often used in plating where it is exposed to the air. Gold also makes great wiring because it is very ductile and can be drawn extremely thin. However, copper wire is much more common because of the high cost involved in producing gold electronics.