GLOSSARY OF TERMS
AWG
Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge.
AWM
Designation for appliance wiring material.
Alternating
Current
Electric current that continually reverses
its direction. It is expressed in cycles per second (hertz of Hz).
Ambient
Temperature
The temperature of a medium (gas or liquid) surrounding the object.
American Wire
Gauge (AWG)
A standard system for designating wire diameter. Also referred to as the Brown and Sharpe (B&S) wire gauge.
Ampacity
(See Current Carrying Capacity)
Ampere
The unit of current. One ampere is the current flowing through one ohm of resistance at one volt potential.
Anneal
Relief of mechanical stress through heat and gradual cooling. Annealing copper renders it less brittle.
Audio Frequency
the range of frequencies audible to the human ear. Usually 20-20,000 Hz.
Basic Protection
A commonly used industry term for partial surge protection, usually a single MOV protecting line-to-neutral (see Full Protection).
Braid
A fibrous or metallic group of filaments interwoven in cylindrical form to form a covering over one or more wires.
Breakdown
The voltage at which the insulation
Voltage between conductors breaks down.
Bunch Stranding
A group of wires of the same diameter
twisted together without a predetermined