To reduce the impact of skin effect, which type of wire is preferable to use?

Using stranded cable is a preferred choice for reducing the impact of skin effect in electrical conductors. Skin effect refers to the phenomenon where alternating current (AC) tends to flow near the surface of the conductor rather than evenly throughout its cross-section. As frequency increases, the effective cross-section area for current flow decreases, leading to increased resistance.

Stranded cables consist of multiple small wires twisted together, which increases the surface area relative to the overall size, allowing more of the current to travel along the outer surface of the strands. This structure effectively mitigates the skin effect by providing more paths for current flow, especially at higher frequencies where skin effect is pronounced.

In contrast, a thick solid conductor has a limited surface area relative to its overall volume, which may not effectively accommodate the current distribution needed to minimize the skin effect. Uncoated wire likewise does not address the situation effectively, and high-resistance wire is not conducive to efficient current flow, making it less suitable under these conditions.