| Property |
Value |
| Gauge 16 Diameter (in) |
0.0508 in |
| Gauge 16 Diameter (mm) |
1.291 mm |
| Gauge 16 Turns of Wire (per inch) |
19.7 turns/in |
| Gauge 16 Turns of Wire (per cm) |
7.75 turns/cm |
| Gauge 16 Cross-Sectional Area (kcmil) |
2.58 kcmil |
| Gauge 16 Cross-Sectional Area (mm²) |
1.31 mm² |
| Copper Resistance (Ω/km or mΩ/m) |
13.17 mΩ/m |
| Copper Resistance (Ω/kft or mΩ/ft) |
4.016 mΩ/ft |
| NEC Copper Wire Ampacity (60°C) |
0 A |
| NEC Copper Wire Ampacity (75°C) |
0 A |
| NEC Copper Wire Ampacity (90°C) |
18 A |
| Fusing Current (10 s) |
117.0 A |
| Fusing Current (1 s) |
398.0 A |
| Fusing Current (32 ms) |
2200.0 A |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About 16 AWG Wire
What does AWG stand for?
AWG stands for American Wire Gauge, a standardized system for measuring wire sizes. The smaller the AWG number, the larger the wire diameter.
How does 16 AWG compare to 15 AWG?
16 AWG wire is smaller than 15 AWG, with a diameter of 1.291 mm compared to 1.45 mm for 15 AWG. It has the same ampacity (18 A at 90°C) but a smaller cross-sectional area and higher resistance.
What applications are suitable for 16 AWG wire?
16 AWG wire is typically used for very low-current applications, such as speaker wiring, small electronic devices, or automotive wiring, with an ampacity of up to 18 A at 90°C.
What happens if the fusing current is exceeded?
If the fusing current is exceeded (e.g., 117 A for 10 seconds in 16 AWG), the wire will overheat and melt, potentially causing a fire hazard or circuit failure.
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