Electric wires are made of a conductive metal, often copper, worked in thin wires to form a single.

This single cable is called a soul. Depending on the number of souls that form the cable can be unipolar, bipolar, tripolar, quadripole, etc.

Each cable must be insulated by a sheath often made of PVC plastic material.

There are special cables for special applications, such as high temperature resistant electrical cables with insulation made of silicon material.