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Wollaston wire

Wollaston wire is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wollaston wire rather than just read about it. In short: Wollaston wire is a very fine (c. 0.001 mm thick) platinum wire clad in silver and used in electrical instruments. For most uses, the silver cladding is etched away by acid to expose the platinum core.

Wollaston wire — main illustration
Wollaston wire — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Wollaston wire belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Wollaston wire to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Wollaston wire from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wollaston wire is a very fine (c. 0.001 mm thick) platinum wire clad in silver and used in electrical instruments. For most uses, the silver cladding is etched away by acid to expose the platinum core.

History The wire is named after its inventor, William Hyde Wollaston, who first produced it in England in the early 19th century. Platinum wire is drawn through successively smaller dies until it is about 0.003 inches (0.076 mm, 40 AWG) in diameter. It is then embedded in the middle of a silver wire having a diameter of about 0.100 inches (2.5 mm, 10 AWG). This composite wire is then drawn until the silver wire has a diameter of about 0.002 inches (0.051 mm, 44 AWG), causing the embedded platinum wire to be reduced by the same 50:1 ratio to a final diameter of 0.00006 inches (1.5 μm, 74 AWG). Removal of the silver coating with an acid bath leaves the fine platinum wire as a product of the process.

Uses Wollaston wire was used in early radio detectors known as electrolytic detectors and the hot wire barretter. Other uses include suspension of delicate devices, sensing of temperature, and sensitive electrical power measurements. It continues to be used for the fastest-responding hot-wire anemometers.

References

Illustrations

Wollaston wire: Schematic diagram of the Wollaston wire a and the micromachined b probes
Schematic diagram of the Wollaston wire a and the micromachined b probes

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wollaston wire

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wollaston wire claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wollaston wire before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wollaston wire ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wollaston wire

In research
Wollaston wire appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Wollaston wire in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Wollaston wire is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics History of radio, Radio electronics, Wire, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Wollaston wire outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Wollaston wire in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Wollaston wire means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Wollaston wire out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wollaston wire in simple terms?

Wollaston wire is a very fine (c. 0.001 mm thick) platinum wire clad in silver and used in electrical instruments. For most uses, the silver cladding is etched away by acid to expose the platinum core.

Why does Wollaston wire matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wollaston wire?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wollaston wire.

Tags

  • History of radio
  • Radio electronics
  • Wire

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