Compared to a solid wire of the same gauge, stranded wire is ____ in diameter.

Compared to a solid wire of the same gauge, stranded wire is ____ in diameter.

• A. Is not larger in diameter
• B. Is somewhat larger in diameter
• C. Is significantly smaller in diameter
• D. Has the same diameter

Answer: (B)

Stranded wire of the same gauge has the same total copper cross-sectional area as a solid wire, but it is made of multiple small strands. Those strands don’t pack together without gaps, so the overall shape needs to be a bit larger to enclose the same amount of conductor. That packing inefficiency means the outer diameter of stranded wire is somewhat larger than that of a solid wire of the same gauge. For low-frequency or DC use the resistance is about the same (since area is the same), but the diameter difference comes from how the strands fill space.

Stranded wire of the same gauge has the same total copper cross-sectional area as a solid wire, but it is made of multiple small strands. Those strands don’t pack together without gaps, so the overall shape needs to be a bit larger to enclose the same amount of conductor. That packing inefficiency means the outer diameter of stranded wire is somewhat larger than that of a solid wire of the same gauge. For low-frequency or DC use the resistance is about the same (since area is the same), but the diameter difference comes from how the strands fill space.