Re: A question of electrical resistance?

Yes, it is true that a thinner copper wire has a higher electrical 
resistance than a thicker one, since resistance is inversely proportional 
to cross-sectional area.  However, several thin wires used to make one 
larger wire has a lower resistance than that of just one wire.  The exact 
value of the resistance is somewhere in between that of a single thin wire 
and a thick copper wire; as you might expect, more wires equal lower 
resistance, so at some point the resistance would be just as low as for a 
larger wire.

So, now to the actual question:  why don't we use large copper wire in 
our homes?  The answer is flexibility!  Large diameter copper wire, unless it 
has been annealed (heated close to its melting point), is difficult to bend.  
Small diameter wire, on the other hand, is easy to work with; this is why the 
cords on all our electrical applicances are so flexible.