As a wire decreases in size, what happens to the gauge number?

When the size of a wire decreases, the gauge number increases. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but it's essential to understand the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system, which is a standard for denoting wire diameters. In this system, a smaller diameter corresponds to a larger gauge number. For example, a 12-gauge wire is thicker than a 14-gauge wire.

As the diameter of the wire gets smaller, the gauge number assigned to it becomes higher, essentially indicating that the wire is thinner. This is crucial for applications where specific wire sizes are needed to handle certain electrical loads safely. The system allows for a consistent way to identify and categorize wire sizes for various electrical applications, which is critical in ensuring safety and performance in RV wiring systems.