Which wire gauge represents the largest diameter?

Prepare for the Associate Certified Electronic Technician Exam. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions with detailed explanations to enhance your understanding. Excel in your upcoming exam!

The correct answer represents the wire gauge with the largest diameter. In the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system, a smaller gauge number indicates a thicker wire. As the gauge number increases, the wire diameter decreases. Therefore, the gauge of 10 represents a much thicker wire than the higher numbers, such as 20, 30, or 40, which are progressively thinner.

In this context, gauge 10 has a diameter of approximately 0.1019 inches, while gauge 20 has a diameter of around 0.0320 inches, gauge 30 measures about 0.0100 inches, and gauge 40 is one of the thinnest at around 0.0039 inches. Thus, gauge 10 is the largest, while gauge 20 is smaller than 10 and larger than 30 and 40.

This understanding of wire gauge is critical in electronic applications, as the thickness of the wire can impact its current-carrying capacity and resistance. Therefore, knowing that a lower gauge number corresponds to a thicker wire is essential for proper circuit design and component selection.

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