What does the acronym AWG, as defined by the CEC, mean?
In the electrical trade we always hear different terms used differently- whether it’s on a blueprint or spoken by a supervisor on a building site, we all use a wide variety of terms that are “loose.” This flexibility of terms, typically, does not allow for accuracy. The end result is miscommunication and problems which is what we all are trying to avoid.
One of the most common misunderstandings based on terminology has to do with the spoken word “grounded”. On the job, typically, grounded is intended to mean “bonded to ground” or “bonded” or “bonding.” This will be a subject of a more sophisticated issue in a future blog- something we all have to look forward to.
Having said that, today, I would like to start with something foundational, in order to explain the entire idea of terminology accuracy using the example of a seemingly simple exam question.
The following question is one of the more classic electrical exam testing questions that people continually get wrong.
What does the acronym AWG, as defined by the CEC, mean?
a) American Wire Gauge
b) Brown and Sharpe Wire Gauge
c) sizes as applied to non-ferrous sheet metal
d) all of the above
At first glance it looks easy enough, and if you’re a logical person it looks like a simple, straightforward answer choice. And that, of course, is the problem in the electrical industry – if it looks too easy, for example on a blueprint, you might be missing something for your estimate. So, let’s take a look at this question and analyze it.
The question itself is very short and like all things in the electrical industry the information is very dense – each word counts.
What does the acronym AWG, as defined by the CEC, mean?
The question is telling you to go to the Canadian Electrical Code and check for the answer. This means Measure Twice Cut Once.
The presumption is, of course, that answer choice
a) American Wire Gauge
is the correct answer.
In reality it is a skillful deception because the answer is so obvious that it is too obvious.
So, the key would be to drop our presumptions and double check in the CEC, as the question is asking us to do, even though we cannot see how or why the letters AWG could possibly mean:
b) Brown and Sharpe Wire Gauge
or
c) sizes as applied to non-ferrous sheet metal
Well, we drop our presumptions and go to check the Code and what do we find? That the actual best answer choice to the question is:
d) all of the above In conclusion, never assume anything, especially terminology, in the electrical trade.