So, where did AWG come from?
Nearly everyone who has done any sort of wiring probably knows that the AWG or American Wire Gauge number refers to the size of the wire somehow. But how? (From: Frank (fwpe@hotcoco.infi.net).) According to the ‘Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers’ (Fink and Beaty) the ‘gauge’ you referenced to is ‘American Wire Gauge’ or AWG and also known as Brown & Sharp gauge. According to above handbook, the AWG designation corresponds to the number of steps by which the wire is drawn. Say the 18 AWG is smaller than 10 AWG and is therefore drawn more times than the 10 AWG to obtain the smaller cross sectional area. The AWG numbers were not chosen arbitrary but follows a mathematical formulation devised by J. R. Brown in 1857! For the marginally mathematically inclined Each increase of 3 in the gauge halves the cross sectional area. Each reduction by 3 doubles it. So, 2 AWG 14 wires is like one AWG 11. It seems that everyone has their own pet formula for this (though I prefer to just check t
