This is a wire chart combined of American Wire Gauge AWG (Chassis Wiring, single free hanging wire) table from national electrical code and the European standards for machine wiring at +40 oC, EN 60204-1. Circular mils and wire diameter is given with current carrying capacities so you can choose the right gauge number. The calculated skin depth is where the entire wire is conducting current, higher frequencies are possible if the application can operate with current only flowing in the outer layers of the bare copper wire. As a quick rule of thumb, using aluminum wire, only has half the current capability of copper, or you can say that you have to use a larger wire, that is twice as big as it should have been with copper. Aluminum is however problematic as there is issues with corrosion near moisture, it cracks easily when bent and electrolytic reactions between aluminum and copper.
| AWG | Diameter | Cross section area | Amperage value | Max frequency for 100% skin depth |
| 12.36 mm | 120 mm2 | 221 A | ||
| 0000 | 11.68 mm | 107.16 mm2 | 380 A | 125 Hz |
| 11.00 mm | 95 mm2 | 192 A | ||
| 000 | 10.40 mm | 84.97 mm2 | 328 A | 160 Hz |
| 9.44 mm | 70 mm2 | 155 A | ||
| 00 | 9.27 mm | 67.40 mm2 | 283 A | 200 Hz |
| 0 | 8.25 mm | 53.46 mm2 | 245 A | 250 Hz |
| 7.98 mm | 50 mm2 | 123 A | ||
| 1 | 7.35 mm | 42.39 mm2 | 211 A | 325 Hz |
| 6.67 mm | 35 mm2 | 114 A | ||
| 2 | 6.54 mm | 33.61 mm2 | 181 A | 410 Hz |
| 3 | 5.83 mm | 26.65 mm2 | 158 A | 500 Hz |
| 5.64 mm | 25 mm2 | 88 A | ||
| 4 | 5.19 mm | 21.14 mm2 | 135 A | 650 Hz |
| 5 | 4.62 mm | 16.76 mm2 | 118 A | 810 Hz |
| 4.51 mm | 16 mm2 | 70 A | ||
| 6 | 4.11 mm | 13.29 mm2 | 101 A | 1100 Hz |
| 7 | 3.67 mm | 10.55 mm2 | 89 A | 1300 Hz |
| 3.57 mm | 10 mm2 | 52 A | ||
| 8 | 3.26 mm | 8.36 mm2 | 73 A | 1650 Hz |
| 9 | 2.91 mm | 6.63 mm2 | 64 A | 2050 Hz |
| 2.76 mm | 6 mm2 | 37 A | ||
| 10 | 2.59 mm | 5.26 mm2 | 55 A | 2600 Hz |
| 11 | 2.30 mm | 4.17 mm2 | 47 A | 3200 Hz |
| 2.26 mm | 4 mm2 | 30 A | ||
| 12 | 2.05 mm | 3.31 mm2 | 41 A | 4150 Hz |
| 13 | 1.83 mm | 2.63 mm2 | 35 A | 5300 Hz |
| 1.78 mm | 2.50 mm2 | 22 A | ||
| 14 | 1.63 mm | 2.08 mm2 | 32 A | 6700 Hz |
| 15 | 1.45 mm | 1.65 mm2 | 28 A | 8250 Hz |
| 1.38 mm | 1.5 mm2 | 16.1 A | ||
| 16 | 1.29 mm | 1.31 mm2 | 22 A | 11 kHz |
| 17 | 1.15 mm | 1.04 mm2 | 19 A | 13 kHz |
| 1.13 mm | 1 mm2 | 11.5 A | ||
| 18 | 1.02 mm | 0.82 mm2 | 16 A | 17 kHz |
| 0.98 mm | 0.75 mm2 | 9.1 A | ||
| 19 | 0.91 mm | 0.65 mm2 | 14 A | 21 kHz |
| 20 | 0.81 mm | 0.52 mm2 | 11 A | 27 kHz |
| 0.80 mm | 0.5 mm2 | 7.1 A | ||
| 21 | 0.72 mm | 0.41 mm2 | 9 A | 33 kHz |
| 22 | 0.65 mm | 0.33 mm2 | 7 A | 42 kHz |
| 0.62 mm | 0.3 mm2 | 5 A | ||
| 23 | 0.57 mm | 0.26 mm2 | 4.7 A | 53 kHz |
| 24 | 0.51 mm | 0.20 mm2 | 4 A | 68 kHz |
| 25 | 0.45 mm | 0.16 mm2 | 2.7 A | 85 kHz |
| 26 | 0.40 mm | 0.13 mm2 | 2.2 A | 107 kHz |
| 27 | 0.361 mm | 0.102 mm2 | 1.7 A | 130 kHz |
| 28 | 0.321 mm | 0.081 mm2 | 1.4 A | 170 kHz |
| 29 | 0.286 mm | 0.0642 mm2 | 1.2 A | 210 kHz |
| 30 | 0.255 mm | 0.0509 mm2 | 0.86 A | 270 kHz |
| 31 | 0.227 mm | 0.0404 mm2 | 0.7 A | 340 kHz |
| 32 | 0.202 mm | 0.0320 mm2 | 0.53 A | 430 kHz |
| 33 | 0.180 mm | 0.0254 mm2 | 0.43 A | 540 kHz |
| 34 | 0.160 mm | 0.0201 mm2 | 0.33 A | 690 kHz |
| 35 | 0.143 mm | 0.0160 mm2 | 0.27 A | 870 kHz |
| 36 | 0.127 mm | 0.0127 mm2 | 0.21 A | 1100 kHz |
| 37 | 0.113 mm | 0.01 mm2 | 0.17 A | 1350 kHz |
| 38 | 0.101 mm | 0.00797 mm2 | 0.13 A | 1750 kHz |
| 39 | 0.0887 mm | 0.00632 mm2 | 0.11 A | 2250 kHz |
| 40 | 0.0799 mm | 0.00501 mm2 | 0.09 A | 2900 kHz |
To find the 100A wire size, look above for 6 AWG. The above table might also be known as wire gauge amperage chart, awg wire size, wire size amperage, wire ampacity table, wire amperage, wire gauge diameter or wire gauge current rating.
American Wire Gauge or AWG for short is also known as Brown & Sharpe wire gauge, it is based on a logarithmic stepped set of standardized wire gauge values and have been used since 1857, in North America. It is only for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wires. Diameters of the wires are given in ASTM standard B 258.
Published November 5, 2009. Updated October 31, 2021.
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NZ wiring as per British standard or American standard for domestic wiring please clarified for 50 Hz,OR 60 Hz
Hi Cyril, European standard is for 50 Hz and American standards for 60 Hz.
Kind regards
Mads
Good idea but a bit crippled implementation…
Why are so many empty cells in this table for amperage and how is one suppose to know from where to take the value for such an empty cell (ie from the cell above or the one below)?
For example, 1.45 mm diameter should it be 16.1 A or 22A?
Hi Lian
I updated the table with AWG current rating values, but as you can see, the European and American does not scale even, so its up to how conservative you want to design which rating you will use, it is afterall just a matter of how much temperature rise you will allow 🙂
You can not just pick a value up or downwards from another gauge wire.
Kind regards
Mads
What is the European wire size for the length of 3 phase with 25 amperage at 100 meters?
Hi Walter
We use 4 mm2 wire in a 5G4 configuation, this is equivalent to AWG11.
Here is a example: https://www.amazon.de/Starkstromkabel-CEE-Verl%C3%A4ngerung-Verl%C3%A4ngerungskabel-H07RN-F-5x4mm%C2%B2/dp/B00BK5TTJC
Kind regards
Mads
What is the maximum current 0.51mm insulated winding wire ( used for coils ) can handle before the insulation is destroyed. Or put another way best operation current.
Hi Bob Baker
I got some more information on copper wire insulation properties in this article about helical coils: https://kaizerpowerelectronics.dk/tesla-coils/drsstc-design-guide/secondary-coil/
Kind regards
Mads
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Is this for stranded or solid core cable?
Hi Alex
You can use it for both. Stranded or solid core is more about its physical properties than its electrical.
Kind regards
Mads
I’m making a model railway for my grandson. I have to use a CDU for the points and have been told it needs a 3Amp charge because I’ll be using 5 points. However, they will not be put on all together, which I think won’t be using that 3 amp but much less. I’ve got 0.6mm aluminium wire. Could you please help me to be able to work as I would like to?
PS; I’m an ancient Biochemist who has very little knowledge on electronics.
Thanks in advance for your help
Hi Tony
Aluminium can carry about half the current of copper, so 0.6 mm would be just below what is needed for 3 A, if there is good enough connections and the wire is able to dissipate heat, you could properly get away with it. Do not put it into a lot of foam and stuff.
Use some proper sized wire and avoid any fire risks.
Kind regards
Mads
I am an American living in Italy. Your amperage ratings for AWG are way off. From what we use per code and common practice. 14 AWG: 15 amps, 12 AWG: 20 amps, 10 AWG: 30 amps. Those were the ones we used for most wiring. I believe 8 AWG: 60 amps. 100 amps is one or two ought (0 or 00). Except for the first three I always look it up when I need them. No wonder Italian wires look so small.
Hi Daniel
The AWG numbers are as stated, from single wire, free hanging at 30 degree Celsius. For a better compare, I properly should derate the AWG by 0.82 for 40 degree Celsius.
You’re numbers seems to be for multicore, up to 3 cores.
Kind regards
Mads