Wire Gauge Calculator
Calculate the diameter, cross-sectional area, and resistance per unit length of a wire based on its AWG gauge number. Ideal for electrical engineers, hobbyists, and electricians.
Published by:
isCalculator Editorial Team
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How to use this tool?
How to Use the Wire Gauge Calculator
- Enter AWG Gauge Number – Type a value between -5 and 40 (e.g., 12 for 12 AWG).
- Enter Length in Meters – Input the wire length in meters (e.g., 100). Must be positive.
- Click "Calculate" – The button runs the calculation.
- Read the Results – You'll see:
- Diameter (mm) – wire thickness.
- Cross-sectional Area (mm²) – wire size.
- Resistance (total) (Ω) – resistance for the given length.
- Resistance per km (Ω/km) – normalized resistance.
Note: All inputs are metric (AWG, meters). The calculator uses copper resistivity (1.724e-8 Ω·m). Invalid entries show an error.
Previous Results
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Frequently Asked Questions
AWG stands for American Wire Gauge, a standardized wire gauge system used for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wires.
Diameter (mm) = 0.127 × 92^((36 - AWG)/39). This formula is based on the AWG standard.
The calculator assumes copper wire with resistivity of 1.724×10^-8 Ω·m at 20°C.