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4 unusual facts about American wire gauge


Digital loop carrier

Use heavy-gauge conductors – Up to 19 gauge (approximately the gauge of pencil lead), which is costly and bulky.

Fusible link

An electrical fusible link is a type of electrical fuse that is constructed simply with a short piece of wire typically four American wire gauge sizes smaller than the wire that is being protected.

Nominal size

American wire gauge is a series of sizes for copper wire, with an arbitrary but well-standardized relationship between the size number and the dimensions of the finished wire.

Skin effect

For example, at 60 Hz, a 2000 MCM (1000 square millimetre) copper conductor has 23% more resistance than it does at DC.



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