Compared with solid wire of the same gauge, stranded wire is typically ____.

Compared with solid wire of the same gauge, stranded wire is typically ____.

• A. Larger in diameter
• B. Smaller in diameter
• C. The same diameter
• D. More flexible but no diameter change

Answer: (A)

Stranded wire is made of many small strands twisted together, which makes it more flexible to handle. Those strands don’t pack perfectly into a single round cross-section, so gaps form between them. To maintain the same total cross-sectional area as a solid conductor, the overall diameter ends up larger. In short, for the same nominal gauge, stranded wire usually has a bigger outside diameter due to the packing geometry of multiple strands, even though the copper content (and current-carrying capability) is the same. The flexibility is the trade-off for that extra diameter.

Stranded wire is made of many small strands twisted together, which makes it more flexible to handle. Those strands don’t pack perfectly into a single round cross-section, so gaps form between them. To maintain the same total cross-sectional area as a solid conductor, the overall diameter ends up larger. In short, for the same nominal gauge, stranded wire usually has a bigger outside diameter due to the packing geometry of multiple strands, even though the copper content (and current-carrying capability) is the same. The flexibility is the trade-off for that extra diameter.