American wire gauge

American wire gauge (AWG), also known as the Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, is a standardized wire gauge system used since 1857 predominantly in North America for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire.[1] The cross-sectional area of each gauge is an important factor for determining its current-carrying capacity.

The steel industry does not use AWG and prefers a number of other wire gauges.[citation needed] These include Washburn & Moen (or W&M) Wire Gauge, US Steel Wire Gauge, and Music Wire Gauge (see Piano wire).

Increasing gauge numbers denote decreasing wire diameters, which is similar to many other non-metric gauging systems. This gauge system originated in the number of drawing operations used to produce a given gauge of wire. Very fine wire (for example, 30 gauge) required more passes through the drawing dies than did 0 gauge wire. Manufacturers of wire formerly had proprietary wire gauge systems; the development of standardized wire gauges rationalized selection of wire for a particular purpose.

The AWG tables are for a single, solid, round conductor. The AWG of a stranded wire is determined by the total cross-sectional area of the conductor, which determines its current-carrying capacity and electrical resistance. Because there are also small gaps between the strands, a stranded wire will always have a slightly larger overall diameter than a solid wire with the same AWG.

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AWG (American Wire Gauge) to Metric Conversion Chart

AWG (American Wire Gauge) is used predominantly in North America for wire outside diameter and cross-section. Dimensions are defined by the ASTM B258 standard. AWG sizes with multiple zeros can be designated as number of zeros or number of zeros/0. Both metric wire cross-section and wire outside diameter can be calculated by formulas using just the AWG number. The formula for the wire outside diameter is: 0.127 mm * 92^(32-n)/39 [mm]. The formula for metric wire cross-section is: 0.012668 mm2 * 92^(36-n)/19.5 [mm2]. In both formulas, n is the AWG number.

Metric wire is specified by the cross-sectional area of the conductor in square millimeters, and offered in certain standard sizes.

American Wire Gauge (AWG) specifies a gauge number equivalent to the nominal diameter of the wire according to the formula:

d = (0.005 in) x 92^^((36-n)/39), where n is the AWG number
Note: treat AWGs 00, 000, and 0000 as -1, -2, and -3; 36 AWG is 0.005 inches, 0000 AWG is 0.460 inches

Note that 0.005 inches (5 mils) is exactly 0.127 mm or 127 µm, and area can be computed as A = (pi/4)*d², so an equivalent metric area may be calculated.

No standard AWG corresponds exactly to a standard metric size, you have to decide whether to round up or down depending on the current capacity, voltage drop over distance, etc. There are many charts that show AWG sizes spaced between roughly equivalent metric sizes. Because the sizes do not correspond exactly, replacement of AWG with metric wire or vice versa requires engineering judgement based on the application, or, at least, ensuring the the selected wire is rated for the current and other operating conditions.

| AWG Size | Diameter (mm) | Diameter (inch) |
|----------|---------------|------------------|
| 0000 (4/0) | 11.684 mm | 0.4600 in |
| 000 (3/0) | 10.403 mm | 0.4096 in |
| 00 (2/0) | 9.266 mm | 0.3648 in |
| 0 (1/0) | 8.251 mm | 0.3249 in |
| 1 | 7.348 mm | 0.2893 in |
| 2 | 6.544 mm | 0.2585 in |
| 3 | 5.827 mm | 0.2294 in |
| 4 | 5.189 mm | 0.2043 in |
| 5 | 4.621 mm | 0.1820 in |
| 6 | 4.115 mm | 0.1620 in |
| 7 | 3.665 mm | 0.1443 in |
| 8 | 3.264 mm | 0.1285 in |
| 9 | 2.906 mm | 0.1144 in |
| 10 | 2.588 mm | 0.1019 in |
| 11 | 2.305 mm | 0.0907 in |
| 12 | 2.053 mm | 0.0808 in |
| 13 | 1.828 mm | 0.0720 in |
| 14 | 1.628 mm | 0.0641 in |
| 15 | 1.450 mm | 0.0571 in |
| 16 | 1.291 mm | 0.0508 in |
| 17 | 1.150 mm | 0.0453 in |
| 18 | 1.024 mm | 0.0403 in |
| 19 | 0.911 mm | 0.0358 in |
| 20 | 0.812 mm | 0.0320 in |
| 21 | 0.724 mm | 0.0285 in |
| 22 | 0.644 mm | 0.0253 in |
| 23 | 0.573 mm | 0.0226 in |
| 24 | 0.511 mm | 0.0201 in |
| 25 | 0.451 mm | 0.0178 in |
| 26 | 0.404 mm | 0.0159 in |
| 27 | 0.361 mm | 0.0142 in |
| 28 | 0.320 mm | 0.0126 in |
| 29 | 0.286 mm | 0.0113 in |
| 30 | 0.254 mm | 0.0100 in |

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