AWG
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Electronics & Electrical
| Stands for | American wire gauge |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
AWG stands for American wire gauge, an electronics & electrical abbreviation also used in measurement.
Standard system for specifying the diameter of round electrical wire in North America, in which larger gauge numbers mean thinner wire. Household circuits typically use 14 AWG copper for 15-ampere circuits and 12 AWG for 20-ampere circuits.
Example: Use 10 AWG wire for the 30-amp dryer circuit.
Usage notes
The system was developed by Brown and Sharpe in 1857. Every reduction of three gauge numbers roughly doubles the cross-sectional area and halves the resistance, and every six roughly doubles the diameter. Sizes thicker than 1 AWG are written 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0, after which large cables are measured in thousands of circular mils (kcmil).
Related abbreviations
More electronics & electrical abbreviations
- AC – Alternating current
- ADC – Analog-to-digital converter
- AFCI – Arc-fault circuit interrupter
- AM – Amplitude modulation
- AMOLED – Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode
- ASIC – Application-specific integrated circuit
- BGA – Ball grid array
- BJT – Bipolar junction transistor
- BLDC – Brushless DC motor
- CMOS – Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
- CPLD – Complex programmable logic device
- CT – Current transformer