Final answer:
Wires and other materials are specified by their 'gauge' as per the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard, where higher numbers indicate thinner wires.
Step-by-step explanation:
Wires, cables, sheets, rods, and other materials manufactured to gauge or code numbers shall be specified by gauge. In the context of electrical wiring, the term 'gauge' refers to the physical size of the wire, with each gauge size represented by a number based on the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire. This is because the gauge of the wire historically related to the number of drawing processes required to produce the wire. Household wiring typically utilizes wires ranging from 10-gauge, which has a 2.588-mm diameter, to 14-gauge, which has a 1.628-mm diameter. A wire gauge measurement device, as seen in Figure 9.11, can help determine the gauge of the wire. The AWG system standardizes these measurements to avoid the direct use of diameters in specifying wire sizes.