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SINGLE CONDUCTORS. A
single conductor may consist of one
solid wire or a number of stranded,
uncovered, solid wires that share in carrying
the total current. A stranded conductor has
the advantage of being more flexible than a
solid conductor, making it more adaptable for
pulling through any bends in a conduit. Common
types of single conductors are shown in
figure 9-12. Conductors vary in diameter. Wire manufacturers have established a numerical system, called the American Wire Gage (AWG) Standard, to eliminate the necessity for cumbersome circular mil or fractional-inch diameters in describing wire Figure 9-13.Comparison of standard wire gauge number to wire diameters. sizes. Figure 9-13 shows a comparison of one-half actual wire diameters to their AWG numerical designations. Notice that the wire gauge number increases as the diameter of the wire decreases. The wire size most frequently used for interior wiring is No. 12 AWG and is a solid conductor. No. 8 and larger wires are normally used for heavy power circuits or as service entrance leads to buildings. The type of wire used to conduct current from outlet boxes to sockets in the lighting fixtures is called "fixture wire." It is stranded for flexibility and is usually size 16 or 18 AWG. |
 
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