American Wire Gauge Sizes

Down at the bottom of the chart, things get delicate.

AWG sizes apply to both solid and stranded wires, but there is a slight difference in physical measurement. A stranded wire consists of several smaller wires twisted together. To find the AWG of a stranded wire, you sum the cross-sectional areas of the individual strands. Because of the air gaps between strands, a stranded wire will always have a slightly larger overall diameter than a solid wire of the same AWG, even though they carry the same amount of current. Voltage Drop Considerations american wire gauge sizes