• ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    Or fucking AWG. Higher number means smaller diameter wire, and Americans are afraid of decimal or negative numbers so large diameters are 00, 000 etc. The formula is batshit insane
    𝑑𝑛 = 0.005 in × 92^(36 – 𝑛)/39^
    so people just use a lookup table.

    • ultracritical@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Gauge is historically number of passes through gauging machine. With the machine and material in question being different for every single one. We took that and put it to a standard, so it’s super messy and makes no sense.

      • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        Well, I wonder what kind of gauging machine can do -3 passes for 0000 wire… /s

        Too bad AWG is so ubiquitous it’s starting to creep into Europe.