BU2 Module 4: CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

Conductors

Substances with high conductivity

Ichabod Crane

An American who introduced waterwheel as a manufacturing process for wire drawing

Wire drawing

- a method of producing wire began in 13th-century Europe

- metal drawn into a series of holes on a drawplate

Bare Conductor

a conductor having no covering or insulation

Covered Conductor

- encased within a material of composition and thickness not recognized by code.

Insulated Conductor

encased within a material of composition and thickness recognized by code.

SCZANBPITL

Examples of Good Conductors

Insulators.

prevent the flow of electrons

PRAG

Common insulators

Class A

Cotton, silk, paper and materials of paper composition impregnated or immersed in an insulating

Class B

Consists of mica, asbestos, or fiberglass; all with a binder.

Class C

Consists entirely of mica, porcelain, glass, quartz, or similar materials.

Class O

Consists of cotton, silk, paper, or similar materials that are not impregnated or immersed in an insulating liquid.

Wire

- electrical conductors which are 8 mm2 (No. 8 AWG) or smaller

- single conductor 14, 12, 10 and 8 AWG

cables

- larger than wires (6 AWG to 0000)

- Two or more wires assembled in a single jacket

American Wire Gauge (AWG)

- a U.S. standard set of non-ferrous wire conductor sizes.

- also known as Brown and Sharpe

Solid Wire

solid-core or single-strand wire, consists of a one piece of wire on its entire cross-section. Unlike stranded wire, solid wire has more flexibility than stranded wire

Stranded Wire

Consists of a group of wires twisted to form metallic string. The total circular mil area is found by multiplying the circular mil area of each strand by the total number of strands.

Cord

insulated wire that is flexible.

Busbar

A rigid electric conductor, usually a metal bar, hollow tube, or rod, which forms a connection between electric circuits.

Copper

- Harder than zinc and softer than iron;

- Ductile, and malleable

Aluminum

produced by the formation of many metals (feldspar, mica, alum, cryolite, clay, bauxite, and several forms of aluminum)

Circular Mil (CM)

- cross-section size in American Wire Gauge (AWG)

- an area of circular wire having a diameter of 1mil

Square Mil

area of a square having its side equal to 1 mil