AI-1
APPENDIX I
GLOSSARY
ALUMINUM CREEP—The movement of aluminum wire away from a point where pressure is applied. (2)
The retreat of heated aluminum wire as it cools.
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE—The "surrounding temperature"—as the temperature surrounding a
conductor in a compartment or within a piece of equipment.
AMERICAN WIRE GAUGE (AWG)— The standards adopted in the United States for the measurement
of wire sizes.
ANTISEIZE COMPOUND—A silicon-based, high-temperature lubricant applied to threaded components
to facilitate their removal after being subjected to rapid heating and cooling.
ASBESTOS—A fiber-like mineral, noncombustible and nonconductive, used as an insulating material.
BLOCK DIAGRAM—A diagram in which the major components of a piece of equipment or of a system
are represented by squares, rectangles, or other geometric figures, and the normal flow of a signal or
current is represented by lines.
BRAID—The weaving of metal or cloth material as an outer coating to a cable; prevents cable damage from
moisture and rough treatment.
BRANCH—An individual current path in a parallel circuit.
BUS BAR—A heavy cooper strap or bar used to connect several circuits together when a large current-
carrying capacity is required.
CABLE—Either a stranded conductor (single-conductor cable) or a combination of conductors insulated
from one another (multiple-conductor cable). Small cable sizes are called stranded wire or cords.
CENTIMETER CUBE—A unit of volume for large rectangular or square conductors. The cross-sectional
area equals 1 square centimeter with a length of 1 centimeter.
CIRCULAR MIL—The area of a circle having a diameter of 1 mil. The standard unit of measurement of
wire cross-sectional area. One circular mil equals .7854 square miles.
CIRCULAR-MIL-FOOT—A unit of volume of a conductor having a cross-sectional area of 1 circular mil
and a length of 1 foot.
COAXIAL CABLE—A cable made up of a center conductor separated from an outer conductor by a
dielectric material. Normally used for radio-frequency transmission.
COMPRESSED AIR/NITROGEN HEATING TOOL—A portable source of heat for use with heat-
shrinkable products.
CONDUIT—A tubular raceway, usually metal or plastic, for enclosing wires or cables.
