Wire calculation and instructions

How to Compute Circular Mil Area of Various Wire Shapes

Stranded Wire AWG

Number of
Strands

Round Solid Wire AWG

U.S. Customary Dimensions

Use Chart 1. Read circular mil
area directly from table.

Metric Dimensions
Use Chart 1. Read circular mil
area directly from table.

Alternate Method
Multiply the diameter of one
strand (in mils) by itself, and then
multiply the result by the total
number of strands.
CMA = D2 x N

Alternate Method
Multiply the diameter of one
strand in millimeters by itself, and
then by the number fo strands,
and then by 1500.003.
CMA = D2 x N x 1550.003

Use chart 1 or 2. Read circular

mil area directly from table.

Use chart 1 or 2. Read circular

mil area directly from table.

Alternate Method
Multiply the diameter in mils by
itself.
CMA = D2

Alternate Method
Multiply the diameter in
millimeters by itself by 1550.003..
CMA = D2 x 1550.003

Multiply the width of the wire

cross section in mils by the
thickness of the wire cross
CMA = W x T x 1.2732 radius factor

Multiply the width of the wire

cross section in millimeters by
the thickness in millimeters by
CMA = W x T x 1973.525 radius factor

Square or Rectangular Wire

Conversion Table
To Convert
From

To

Multiply By

CMA

mm 2

0.0005067075

CMA

in2

0.0000007854

mm 2

in2

0.0015500030

mm 2

CMA

1973.525

Radius Factor,
U.S. Customary
Radius
Radius Factor To
(in.)
Subtract (CMA)
.010
110
.012
158
280
.016
438
.020
740
.026
1121
.032
1752
.040
.063
4346
0.94
9675

Radius Factor, Metric

Radius
(mm)
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.8
1.2

Radius Factor To
Subtract (CMA)
106
153
208
272
424
611
1086
2444

CMA
4.0
16.0
64.0
175.0
388
397
400
400
403
634
635
640
640
992
1000
1008
1024
1600
1608
1617
1624
2521
2540
2581
2800
3831
4099
4109
6503
6512
6529
9072
10080
10404
16512
16533
16535
262218
26244
26292
41616
41718
41792
95509
97610
98409

Circular mil area (CMA)/Nominal Wire Sizes

Approximate
Strands
Normal Wire Size
Diameter
Conductor Diameter
No.
mm2
Inch
AWG
mm
Inch
mm
44
0.002
1
0.050
0.002
0.051
0.00195
38
0.008
1
0.102
0.004
0.102
0.004
32
0.032
1
0.203
0.008
0.203
0.008
28
0.089
7
0.127
0.015
0.381
0.005
24
0.197
1
0.500
0.020
0.508
0.0197
24
0.201
10
0.160
0.023
0.584
0.0063
24
0.203
16
0.127
0.023
0.584
0.005
24
0.203
4
0.254
0.023
0.584
0.01
24
0.204
8
0.180
0.023
0.584
0.0071
0.0089
22
0.321
8
0.226
0.029
0.737
0.0063
22
0.322
16
0.160
0.029
0.737
0.008
22
0.324
10
0.203
0.029
0.737
0.0253
22
0.324
1
0.643
0.025
0.635
0.0315
20
0.503
1
0.800
0.032
0.813
0.01
20
0.507
10
0.254
0.038
0.965
0.0071
20
0.511
20
0.180
0.039
0.991
20
0.519
16
0.203
0.039
0.991
0.008
18
0.811
16
0.254
0.049
1.245
0.01
18
0.815
19
0.234
0.049
1.245
0.0092
18
0.819
7
0.386
0.042
1.067
0.0152
18
0.823
1
1.024
0.040
1.016
0.0403
16
1.277
50
0.180
0.059
1.499
0.0071
16
1.287
16
0.320
0.059
1.499
0.0126
16
1.308
1
1.290
0.051
1.295
0.0508
16
1.419
7
0.508
0.061
1.549
0.02
14
1.941
19
0.361
0.076
1.930
0.0142
14
2.077
7
0.615
0.076
1.930
0.0242
14
2.082
1
1.628
0.064
1.626
0.0641
12
3.295
19
0.470
0.092
2.337
0.0185
12
3.300
7
0.775
0.086
2.184
0.0305
12
3.308
1
2.052
0.081
2.057
0.0808
10
4.597
7
0.914
0.096
2.438
0.036
10
5.108
1
2.550
0.100
2.540
0.1004
10
5.272
19
0.594
0.117
2.972
0.0234
8
8
1
3.260
0.129
3.260
0.1285
8
8
7
1.230
0.146
3.710
0.0486
8
8
19
0.750
0.148
3.760
0.0295
6
13
7
1.550
0.184
4.670
0.0612
6
13
1
4.110
0.162
4.110
0.1620
6
15
19
0.940
0.202
5.130
0.0372
4
21
1
5.182
0.204
5.180
0.2040
4
21
7
1.961
0.232
5.890
0.0772
4
21
19
1.191
0.226
5.740
0.0469
0
50
19
1.800
0.354
9.000
0.0709
0
50
396
0.0157
0.400
0.406
10.300
0
50
702
0.0118
0.300
0.370
9.400