T H E

A L C A N
G L O S S A R Y
H A N D B O O K
A
Abrasion Resistance The abi l i ty of a materi al to resi st
prol onged surface wear by fri cti on.
AC90 Si ngl e- or mul ti - conductor i nsul ated cabl es wi th metal
i nterl ocked armour wi thout an overal l j acket.
Accelerated Aging Test A test i n whi ch defi ned condi ti ons
such as vol tage, temperature, etc., to whi ch a cabl e or
materi al i s subj ected, are i ncreased i n magni tude above
normal operati ng val ues to obtai n observabl e deteri orati on i n
a reasonabl e peri od of ti me, and thereby provi de a rel ati ve
measure of the probabl e cabl e or materi al l i fe under
operati ng vol tages, temperature, etc.
ACWU90 Si ngl e- or mul ti - conductor i nsul ated cabl es wi th metal
i nterl ocked armour wi th an overal l j acket. AC90 wi th a
j acket.
Admittance The reci procal of i mpedance.
AG14 Indi cates the product has passed an aci d gas test whi ch
al l ows a maxi mum aci d gas l evel of 14% by wei ght when
cal cul ated as HCl , of the nonmetal l i c components when
combusted.
Alive El ectri cal l y connected to a source of vol tage of a potenti al l y
hazardous or l ethal l evel .
Alloy A combi nati on of two or more metal s for the purpose of
modi fyi ng properti es of one of the metal s.
Alternating Current An el ectri c current that conti nual l y reverses
i ts di recti on gi vi ng a defi ni te pl us and mi nus wave form at
fi xed i nterval s. The frequency of the change i n fl ow i s
expressed i n cycl es per second (Hertz or Hz).
Aluminum Conductor Material CSA recogni ti on for
al umi num al l oys formul ated speci fi cal l y for use i n bui l di ng
wi re appl i cati ons.
Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced A stabl e conductor
assembl y of al umi num wi res stranded around a steel core.
Aluminum-Sheathed Cable A cabl e consi sti ng of one or more
conductors assembl ed i nto a core and covered wi th smooth
or corrugated sheath of al umi num or al umi num al l oy.
Ambient Temperature The temperature of a medi um, such as
gas or l i qui d, surroundi ng an obj ect.
American Wire Gauge A North Ameri can standard system
used for desi gnati ng conductor di ameter.
Ampacity The maxi mum permi tted current for a conductor i n
accordance wi th defi ned rul es and operati ng condi ti ons.
Ampere Uni t of measurement of el ectri cal current.
Anneal The process of control l ed heati ng and cool i ng of a metal
to achi eve predetermi ned characteri sti cs such as tensi l e
strength and el ongati on.
GLOSSARY
Approved Acceptabl e to the el ectri cal authori ty havi ng
j uri sdi cti on.
Armour The outermost metal l ayer of a cabl e appl i ed for
mechani cal protecti on usual l y consi sti ng of a l ayer or l ayers
of a metal l i c tape, brai d or hel i cal l y appl i ed wi res.
Armoured Cable A cabl e provi ded wi th an outer metal coveri ng
for the purpose of mechani cal protecti on.
Auxiliary Gutter A raceway consi sti ng of a sheet metal
encl osure used to suppl ement the wi ri ng space of el ectri cal
equi pment and to encl ose i nterconnecti ng conductors.
B
Bare Conductor A conductor not covered wi th i nsul ati ng
materi al .
Bending Radius Radi us of curvature that a cabl e can be safel y
bent through wi thout any adverse effects on mechani cal and
i nsul ati ng properti es.
Binder A hel i cal l y served tape or thread used for hol di ng
assembl ed cabl e components i n pl ace.
Bobbins Metal spool s used for taki ng up drawn wi re and
subsequentl y used for payout packages i n cabl i ng and
strandi ng equi pment.
Bonding A l ow i mpedance path obtai ned by permanentl y j oi ni ng
al l non- current- carryi ng metal parts to assure el ectri cal
conti nui ty and havi ng the capaci ty to conduct safel y, any
current l i kel y to be i mposed on i t.
Bonding Conductor A conductor whi ch connects the non-
current- carryi ng metal parts of el ectri cal equi pment,
raceways, or encl osures to the servi ce equi pment or system
groundi ng conductor.
Braid A fi brous or metal l i c group of fi l aments i nterwoven i n
cyl i ndri cal shape to form a coveri ng over one or more wi res.
Branch Circuit That porti on of a wi ri ng i nstal l ati on between the
fi nal overcurrent devi ce protecti ng the ci rcui t and the
outl et(s).
Breakdown Voltage The short ti me vol tage at whi ch the
i nsul ati on between two energi zed conductors breaks down
from an i nsul ati ng to a conducti ng state.
Building Wire Wi re and cabl e used for l i ght and power i n
permanent i nstal l ati ons- i n bui l di ngs i n whi ch el ectri cal
safety i s governed by l egi sl ati on.
Bunch Strand Any number of conductor strands twi sted
together i n one di recti on wi th the same l ay l ength to form a
stabl e assembl y.
Bus A conductor whi ch serves as a common connecti on for the
correspondi ng conductors of two or more ci rcui ts.
Busduct A raceway consi sti ng of metal troughi ng (i ncl udi ng
el bows, tees, crosses, i n addi ti on to strai ght runs)
contai ni ng conductors, the conductors bei ng supported on
i nsul ators. Often cal l ed Busway.
Butyl Rubber A syntheti c rubber wi th good i nsul ati ng properti es
(i .e. l ow vol tage cords).
C
Cable Ei ther a stranded conductor wi th i nsul ati on wi th or wi thout
other coveri ngs (si ngl e- conductor cabl e), or a combi nati on
of conductors i nsul ated from one another (mul ti pl e-
conductor cabl e).
Cable Core The porti on of an i nsul ated cabl e l yi ng under the
protecti ve coveri ng or coveri ngs.
Cable Filler The materi al used i n mul ti pl e- conductor cabl es to
occupy the i ntersti ces formed by the assembl y of the
i nsul ated conductors, thus formi ng a cabl e core of the
desi red shape (usual l y ci rcul ar).
Cable-in-Duct System for di rect buri al i n whi ch a fl exi bl e
condui t i s extruded over el ectri cal cabl es for a si ngl e, pre-
assembl ed uni t.
Cable Sheath The outer most coveri ng of a cabl e provi di ng
overal l protecti on. North Ameri can meani ng refers to a
metal l i c component. Internati onal l y a sheath may be metal l i c
or nonmetal l i c.
Cable Tray A raceway consi sti ng of a prefabri cated structure of
troughi ng and fi tti ngs, so formed and constructed that cabl es
may be readi l y i nstal l ed and removed wi thout i nj ury.
Ladder Cable Tray: A cabl e tray wi th openi ngs exceedi ng
50 mm i n a l ongi tudi nal di recti on.
Non-ventilated Cable Tray: A cabl e tray i n whi ch there
are no venti l ati ng openi ngs i n the bottom or si des.
Ventilated Cable Tray: A cabl e tray havi ng adequate
venti l ati ng openi ngs wi th no openi ng exceedi ng 50 mm i n a
l ongi tudi nal di recti on.
Cabling Assembl i ng two or more i nsul ated conductors by
machi ne to form a cabl e.
Capacitance That property of a system of conductors and
di el ectri cs whi ch permi ts the storage of el ectri ci ty when a
potenti al di fference exi sts between the conductors. Its val ue
i s expressed as the rati o of a quanti ty of el ectri ci ty to a
potenti al di fference.
Cellular Floor An assembl y of cel l ul ar metal or cel l ul ar concrete
fl oor members, consi sti ng of uni ts wi th hol l ow spaces (cel l s)
sui tabl e for use as raceways and, i n some cases, non-
cel l ul ar uni ts.
Certified Test Report A report provi di ng actual test data on a
cabl e. Tests are normal l y conducted by the Qual i ty Control
Department to confi rm that the product bei ng shi pped
conforms to speci fi cati ons.
Circuit Breaker A devi ce desi gned to open and cl ose a ci rcui t
by non- automati c means and to open the ci rcui t
automati cal l y on a predetermi ned over current wi thout
damage to i tsel f when properl y appl i ed wi thi n i ts rati ng.
Circular Mil A uni t of cross- secti onal area, commonl y used to
express the area of conductor whi ch i s the area of a ci rcl e,
.001 i nches i n di ameter.
Coaxial Cable A cabl e confi gurati on havi ng two cyl i ndri cal
conductors wi th coi nci dental axes, such as, conductor wi th a
tubul ar shi el d surroundi ng the conductor and i nsul ated from i t.
Code, Installation A document, usual l y enforced by l egi sl ati on,
whi ch determi nes the i nstal l ati on rul es for products i n
l ocati ons where the general publ i c may l egi ti matel y be
present, i n the i nterest of publ i c safety.
Coefficient of Expansion The fracti onal change i n di mensi on
of a materi al gi ven a uni t change i n temperature.
Cold Flow Permanent deformati on of a materi al due to a
mechani cal force.
Colour Code A system for ci rcui t i denti fi cati on by use of sol i d
col ours and contrasti ng tracers.
Composite Cable One contai ni ng more than one type or gauge
si ze of conductors (e.g. power and control conductors i n one
assembl y).
Compound An i nsul ati ng or j acketi ng materi al made by mi xi ng
i ngredi ents to a base pol ymer to modi fy i ts properti es.
Concealed Rendered permanentl y i naccessi bl e by the structure
or fi ni sh of the bui l di ng.
Concentric-Lay Cable A mul ti pl e- conductor cabl e composed
of hel i cal l y l ai d conductors around a common axi s.
Concentric Neutral A conductor compri sed of wi res hel i cal l y
l ai d around a core, whi ch are col l ecti vel y connected to the
neutral poi nt of an el ectri cal system.
Concentric Stranding A central wi re surrounded by one or
more l ayers of hel i cal l y wound strands i n a round stabl e
geometri c arrangement.
Concentricity The measurement of the l ocati on of the centre of
the conductor wi th respect to the geometri c centre of the
surroundi ng i nsul ati on.
Conductivity A term used i n descri bi ng the capabi l i ty of a
conductor to carry el ectri c current. Usual l y expressed as a
percent of a soft copper conductor whi ch i s defi ned as bei ng
100% conducti ve.
Conductor A wi re or stabl e assembl y of wi res of l ong l ength
rel ati ve to i ts cross- secti on sui tabl e for carryi ng el ectri cal
current.
Combination Unilay Conductor: A central core wi re
surrounded by a l ayer of si x hel i cal l y l ai d wi res of the same
di ameter as the core wi re wi th a hel i cal l y l ai d outer l ayer
contai ni ng si x smal l er wi res al ternated between si x wi res of
the same di ameter as the wi res i n the l ayer underneath. Both
l ayers have a common l ength and di recti on of l ay.
Compact Conductor: A concentri c stranded conductor
whi ch i s ci rcumferenti al l y deformed to reduce i ts di ameter,
thus el i mi nati ng the normal i ntersti ces i n the cabl e.
Composite Conductor: A composi te conductor consi sts
of two or more strands of di fferent metal s, such as al umi num
and steel , or al umi num and al umi num al l oy. i .e.: ACSR,
ACAR, AWAC.
Compressed Conductor: A concentri c stranded
conductor whi ch after strandi ng, i s passed through a di e to
reduce the overal l di ameter approxi matel y 3%.
Conventional Concentric Conductor: A conductor
constructed wi th a central core surrounded by one or more
l ayers of hel i cal l y l ai d wi res. The di recti on of l ay i s reversed
i n successi ve l ayers, and general l y wi th an i ncrease i n
l ength of l ay for successi ve l ayers.
Conductor Shield An extrusi on of semi - conducti ng materi al
over the conductor to provi de a smooth i nterface wi th the
i nsul ati on for even di stri buti on of el ectri cal stress.
Conduit A raceway of ci rcul ar cross- secti on i ntended to contai n
el ectri cal conductors for the purpose of mechani cal and
el ectri cal protecti on.
Rigid Metal Conduit: a metal condui t assembl ed wi th the
use of components wi th standard pi pe threads.
Rigid Nonmetallic Conduit: a nonmetal l i c condui t whi ch
i s assembl ed by means other than threaded components.
Rigid PVC Conduit: A form of ri gi d nonmetal l i c condui t
composed of non- pl asti ci sed pol yvi nyl chl ori de.
Rigid RE Conduit: A form of ri gi d nonmetal l i c condui t
composed of rei nforced thermoset materi al sui tabl e for di rect
buri al or encasement i n concrete.
Rigid Type DB2/ES2 PVC Conduit: A ri gi d nonmetal l i c
condui t of pol yvi nyl chl ori de for di rect buri al or encasement
i n concrete or masonry.
Rigid Type EB1 PVC Conduit: A ri gi d condui t of
pol yvi nyl chl ori de for encasement i n concrete or masonry.
Connector A devi ce used to physi cal l y and el ectri cal l y connect
two or more conductors. Al so used to physi cal l y connect
cabl e to equi pment.
Continuity Check A test to determi ne whether el ectri cal current
fl ows conti nuousl y throughout the l ength of a si ngl e wi re or
i ndi vi dual wi res i n a cabl e.
Continuous Vulcanization A conti nuous, i n- l i ne process
whereby a wi re has an extruded coveri ng appl i ed, i s then
passed through a tube contai ni ng such temperatures and
pressures as are necessary to compl ete vul cani zati on.
Control Cable A mul ti - conductor cabl e i ntended for operati ng i n
control or si gnal ci rcui ts.
Copolymer A compound resul ti ng from the pol ymeri zati on of
two di fferent monomers.
Cord A smal l , fl exi bl e, i nsul ated cabl e i ntended to connect
portabl e equi pment to a source of power.
Core In cabl es, a component or assembl y of components over
whi ch addi ti onal components (shi el ds, sheath, etc.) are
appl i ed.
Coreflex Regi stered trademark of Al catel Canada Wi re for RA90.
Corona A di scharge due to i oni zati on of ai r around a conductor
due to a potenti al gradi ent exceedi ng a certai n cri ti cal val ue.
Creep The di mensi onal change wi th ti me of a materi al under a
mechani cal l oad.
Crimp Act of compressi ng (deformi ng) a connector barrel around
a cabl e i n order to make an el ectri cal connecti on.
Cross-linked Inter- mol ecul ar bonds produced between l ong
chai n mol ecul es i n a pol ymeri c materi al to i ncrease
mol ecul ar si ze by chemi cal or el ectron bombardment means,
whi ch changes the materi al from thermopl asti c to thermoset.
Crosstalk Si gnal i nterference between nearby conductors caused
by pi ckup of stray energy.
Cured polymers See Cross- l i nked.
Current The rate of transfer of charge. Practi cal uni t i s the
ampere whi ch represents the transfer of one Coul omb per
second.
Cut-through Resistance The abi l i ty of a materi al to wi thstand
cutti ng from a sharp edge under pressure.
D
Dead, when applied to electrical equipment The current-
carryi ng parts of el ectri cal equi pment are free from any
el ectri cal connecti on to a source of vol tage and from
el ectri cal charge and does not have a vol tage di fferent from
that of earth.
Decibel (db) Uni t to express di fferences of power l evel . Used to
express power gai n i n ampl i fi ers or power l oss i n passi ve
ci rcui ts or cabl es.
Derating Factor A factor used to reduce the rated ampaci ty of a
conductor to correct for envi ronments other than that for
whi ch the rated ampaci ty was establ i shed.
Dielectric A materi al wi th good el ectri cal i nsul ati ng
characteri sti cs.
Dielectric Constant (K) The radi o of the capaci tance of a
condensor wi th di el ectri c between the el ectrodes to the
capaci tance when ai r i s between the el ectrodes. Al so cal l ed
Permi tti vi ty and Speci fi c Inducti ve Capaci ty (SIC).
Dielectric Strength An i nsul ati on rati ng i n terms of i ts abi l i ty to
wi thstand el ectri cal stress.
Dielectric Test A test carri ed out to establ i sh the di el ectri c
strength of an i nsul ati on.
Direct Burial Cable A cabl e i nstal l ed di rectl y i n earth.
Direct Current An el ectri cal current whi ch fl ows i n one di recti on
onl y.
Disconnect A devi ce, group of devi ces, or other means whereby
the conductors of a ci rcui t can be opened i .e. di sconnected
from thei r source of suppl y.
Distribution Cable (primary) That porti on of a suppl y
authori tys system whi ch suppl i es power from the
di stri buti on substati on to the di stri buti on transformers.
Distribution Cable (secondary) That porti on of a suppl y
authori tys system whi ch i s connected to a consumer servi ce
from the secondary si de of the di stri buti on transformer at the
vol tage l evel at whi ch i t wi l l be uti l i zed.
Drain Wire In a cabl e, an uni nsul ated wi re l ai d over the
component or components and used as groundi ng
medi um.
Drawing In wi re manufacturi ng, pul l i ng the metal through
a di e or seri es of di es to reduce di ameter to a speci fi ed
si ze.
Duct An underground raceway for carryi ng el ectri cal
conductors.
Duty A characteri sti c of an el ectri cal servi ce that descri bes the
degree of regul ari ty of the l oad over ti me.
Continuous Duty: A duty of the l oad whi ch i s substanti al l y
constant over prol onged ti me.
Short time Duty: A duty of the l oad whi ch i s substanti al l y
constant for a short and defi ned ti me.
Intermittent Duty: A duty of the l oad havi ng defi ned
peri ods of:
(a) Load and no- l oad
(b) Load and rest, and
(c) Load, no l oad, and rest
Periodic Duty: A duty of the l oad i n whi ch the l oad
condi ti ons are regul arl y recurrent.
Varying Duty: A duty of the l oad havi ng l oads over
i nterval s of ti me, both of whi ch are subj ect to wi de
vari ati on.
E
Earth Bri ti sh termi nol ogy for zero- reference ground .
Eccentricity Li ke concentri ci ty, a measure of the centre of a
conductors l ocati on wi th respect to the ci rcul ar cross-
secti on of the i nsul ati on. Expressed as a percentage of
di spl acement of one ci rcl e wi thi n the other.
Elastomer A rubber- l i ke substance. Any materi al that wi l l return
to i ts ori gi nal di mensi ons after bei ng stretched or di storted.
Electrical Metallic Tubing A raceway of ci rcul ar cross- secti on
i ntended to contai n el ectri cal conductors for the purpose of
mechani cal and el ectri cal protecti on, havi ng thi nner wal l
secti on than ri gi d metal condui t of equi val ent nomi nal trade
si ze, and assembl ed i n the fi el d wi thout the use of threaded
components.
Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing A nonmetal l i c raceway of
ci rcul ar cross- secti on.
Electrode A conductor through whi ch a current enters or l eaves
an el ectrol yti c cel l , arc furnace, vacuum tube, gas di scharge
tube or other non metal l i c materi al .
Electrolysis The producti on of chemi cal changes by passage of
current through an el ectrol yte.
Electromagnetic Field See magneti c fi el d.
EMI El ectromagneti c Interference. Unwanted parasi ti c
el ectromagneti c waves capabl e of affecti ng the operati on of
communi cati on and si gnal ci rcui ts and devi ces.
Electromotive Force That force whi ch determi nes the fl ow of
el ectri ci ty; a di fference of el ectri c potenti al .
Electroplate The term used to i ndi cate the appl i cati on of a
metal l i c coati ng on a surface by means of el ectrol yti c
acti on.
Electrostatic Shield A metal l i c envel ope around a vol tage
source i ntended to control el ectrostati c fi el ds.
Elongation The i ncrease i n l ength of materi al stressed i n
tensi on.
Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance The abi l i ty
of pl asti cs to resi st stress cracki ng under harsh
envi ronments.
Equal Load Sharing An even di stri buti on of current between the
paral l el cabl es i n a power ci rcui t.
Equilay See Uni l ay. More than one l ayer of hel i cal l y l ai d wi res
wi th the l ength of the l ay the same for each l ayer.
Ethylene-propylene-diene Monomer Rubber A materi al
wi th good el ectri cal i nsul ati ng properti es.
Explosion-proof Encl osed i n a case whi ch i s capabl e of
wi thstandi ng, wi thout damage, an expl osi on, whi ch may
occur wi thi n i t, of a speci fi ed gas or vapour and capabl e of
preventi ng the i gni ti on of a speci fi ed gas or vapour
surroundi ng the encl osure from sparks, fl ashes, or expl osi on
of the speci fi ed gas or vapour wi thi n the encl osure.
F
Farad (F) A uni t of el ectri c capaci tance. The capaci tance of a
capaci tor whi ch, when charged wi th one coul omb, gi ves a
di fference of potenti al of one vol t.
Fatigue Resistance Resi stance of materi al to fracture due to the
appl i cati on of cycl i cal stresses.
Feeder Any porti on of an el ectri cal ci rcui t between the servi ce
box, or other source of suppl y, and the branch ci rcui t
overcurrent protecti ve devi ce.
Feed Through Termi nal or connector between wal l s or panel s
usual l y i nsul ated from the wal l .
Ferrous Composed of and/ or contai ni ng i ron. A ferrous metal
may exhi bi t magneti c characteri sti cs (e.g. Steel armour).
Filled Conductor Cabl e constructi on i n whi ch the cabl e core i s
fi l l ed wi th a materi al that wi l l prevent moi sture or gases from
enteri ng or passi ng through the cabl e.
Filler Materi al used i n mul ti - conductor cabl es to occupy the
i ntersti ces formed by the assembl ed conductors.
Fitting A devi ce for securi ng cabl e, vi a i ts outer components,
where i t enters an encl osure of el ectri cal equi pment.
Flame Resistance The abi l i ty of a materi al to resi st fl ame
propagati on once the heat source i s removed.
Flammability The measure of the materi al s abi l i ty to support
combusti on.
Flat Cable A cabl e wi th two essenti al l y fl at surfaces (e.g.
NMD90).
Flexibility The ease wi th whi ch a cabl e may be bent wi thout
sustai ni ng damage.
Flexible Metal Conduit A metal condui t that may be easi l y
bent wi thout the use of tool s.
Flex Life The abi l i ty of a conductor, wi re or cabl e component to
wi thstand repeated bendi ng, under speci fi ed test condi ti ons.
FT1 One of several CSA fl ame test desi gnati ons for wi res and
cabl es whi ch pass the C22.2 No. 0.3 test requi rements.
(Other desi gnati ons i ncl ude FT2, FT4, etc.)
Fraying Irreversi bl e damage of fi brous materi al s when exposed
to fri cti on or abrasi on.
Frequency The number of repeti ti ve cycl es of al ternati ng current
or vol tage i n one second.
G
Gauge See Ameri can Wi re Gauge.
Ground (GND) A connecti on to earth obtai ned through a
groundi ng el ectrode.
Grounded Connected effectual l y wi th the general mass of the
earth through a groundi ng path of suffi ci entl y l ow i mpedance
and havi ng an ampaci ty suffi ci ent at al l ti mes, under the
most severe condi ti ons whi ch are l i abl e to ari se i n practi ce,
to prevent any current i n the groundi ng conductor from
causi ng a harmful vol tage to exi st:
(a) between the groundi ng conductors and nei ghbouri ng
exposed conducti ng surfaces whi ch are i n good contact
wi th the earth; or
(b) between the groundi ng conductors and nei ghbouri ng
surfaces of the earth i tsel f.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter A devi ce whose functi on i s
to i nterrupt, wi thi n a predetermi ned ti me, the el ectri cal ci rcui t
to the l oad when a current to ground exceeds some
predetermi ned val ue that i s l ess than requi red to operate the
overcurrent protecti ve devi ce of the suppl y ci rcui t.
Grounding A permanent conti nuous conducti ng path to the
groundi ng el ectrode suffi ci ent to carry faul t currents
i mposed on the path for the requi red durati on, to l i mi t the
vol tage ri se at any poi nt on the path to a safe l evel , and to
faci l i tate the safe operati on of overcurrent protecti ve devi ces
i n the ci rcui t.
Grounding Conductor The conductor whi ch connects non-
current- carryi ng metal of servi ce equi pment, and the neutral
poi nt at the servi ce, to the ground el ectrode.
Grounding Electrode A buri ed metal water- pi pi ng system, or
metal obj ect or devi ce buri ed i n, or dri ven i nto, the ground
so as to make i nti mate contact therewi th, to whi ch a
groundi ng conductor i s el ectri cal l y and mechani cal l y
connected.
H
Hard Drawn Wire Wi re that has not been heat- treated after
drawi ng.
Header A raceway for el ectri cal conductors, associ ated wi th an
under fl oor raceway or cel l ul ar fl oor system, whi ch provi des
access to predetermi ned raceways or cel l s.
Heat Shock A test to determi ne the resi stance of a materi al to
damage by appl i ed mechani cal force fol l owi ng exposure to a
hi gh temperature of speci fi ed magni tude.
Henry (H) An el ectri cal uni t denoti ng the i nductance of a ci rcui t
i n whi ch a current varyi ng at the rate of one ampere per
second produces an el ectromoti ve force of one vol t.
Hertz (Hz) A uni t of frequency.
High Potential Test An overvol tage test on an i nsul ati on
i ntended to reveal weak or damaged i nsul ati on.
Hybrid Cable A mul ti - conductor cabl e contai ni ng two or more
types or si zes of conductors.
Hygroscopic A materi al capabl e of absorbi ng moi sture from
the ai r.
I
Impact Strength The resi stance of a cabl e or cabl e component
to damage due to the droppi ng of a wei ght onto the
component under gravi ty.
Impedance The total opposi ti on of a ci rcui t to the fl ow of
current wi th an appl i ed al ternati ng vol tage.
Impulse Voltage A transi ent surge of vol tage of uni di recti onal
pol ari ty, hi gh magni tude, and short durati on measured i n
mi croseconds.
Impulse Strength The el ectri cal stress at whi ch the break-
down of i nsul ati on occurs when exposed to a vol tage
i mpul se.
Impulse Test An i nsul ati on test i n whi ch the vol tage appl i ed
i s an i mpul se vol tage of speci fi ed wave shape and
durati on.
Inductance A magneti c property of a ci rcui t or ci rcui t el ement
that opposes a change i n current fl ow, expressed i n henrys.
Inhibitor (Corrosion) A materi al whi ch prevents or del ays
oxi dati on and other acti on on a connector surface.
Insulation Materi al surroundi ng a conductor havi ng a hi gh
resi stance to the fl ow of el ectri c current under expected
l evel s of el ectri c stress.
Insulation Level A desi gnati on to i denti fy the degree of
capabi l i ty of an i nsul ated conductor to wi thstand exposure to
overvol tage for a defi ned peri od of ti me, expressed as a
percentage of normal rated vol tage (100%, 133%, 173%).
Insulation Resistance That property of an i nsul ati on materi al
whi ch resi sts el ectri cal current fl ow when a potenti al
di fference i s appl i ed.
Insulation Shield A l ayer of conducti ng materi al or
combi nati on of materi al s appl i ed di rectl y over the
i nsul ati on of medi um or hi gh vol tage cabl es for the
purpose of confi ni ng el ectri cal stress to the conductor
i nsul ati on.
Insulation Stress The vol tage gradi ent at any l ocati on wi thi n an
i nsul ati on, measured i n vol ts per mi l . Excessi ve stress l eads
to i nsul ati on breakdown.
Insulator A component of such l ow el ectri cal conducti vi ty
that the fl ow of current through i t can usual l y be
negl ected.
Interaxial Spacing Centre to centre conductor spaci ng.
Interstices In cabl e constructi on, the space, val l ey, or voi d, l eft
between or around the cabl ed conductors.
Intrinsically Safe Any spark or thermal effect that may occur i n
normal use, or under any condi ti ons of faul t l i kel y to occur
i n practi ce, i s i ncapabl e of causi ng an i gni ti on of the
prescri bed fl ammabl e gas, vapour, or dust.
Ionization The act of spl i tti ng i nto or produci ng i ons, usual l y i n
ai r, under condi ti ons of el ectri c stress.
Irradiation The exposure of a materi al to hi gh energy parti cl e
emi ssi ons.
ISO 9000 ISO Qual i ty Assurance Program.
J
Jacket A protecti ve nonmetal l i c coveri ng over a cabl e
component or an assembl y of components.
Jumper A short l ength of conductor used to make connecti on
between termi nal s or other conducti ng components of
el ectri cal equi pment.
Jute A natural fi bre of pl ant base formed i nto rope- l i ke strands.
Used i n cabl es for fi l l i ng the i ntersti ces to gi ve a round
cross- secti on.
K
kcmil Thousands ci rcul ar mi l , a uni t of area used to descri be
el ectri cal conductors (see ci rcul ar mi l ).
Kilowatt A uni t of el ectri cal power equal to one thousand watts.
L
Ladder Cable Tray A cabl e tray consi sti ng of two l ongi tudi nal
si de rai l s connected by i ndi vi dual transverse members, wi th
openi ngs exceedi ng 50 mm i n a l ongi tudi nal di recti on.
Laminated Tape A term used to descri be a tape consi sti ng of
two or more l ayers, usual l y each l ayer bei ng a di fferent
materi al , seal ed or l ami nated together to form one tape.
Lay The di stance taken to compl ete one revol uti on of hel i cal l y
l ai d cabl e components, measured al ong the l ongi tudi nal axi s
of a cabl e.
Lay Direction The di recti on of a twi st i n a cabl e as i ndi cated by
the top strands whi l e l ooki ng al ong the axi s of the cabl e
away from the observer. Descri bed as ri ght hand or l eft
hand .
Leakage Current The undesi rabl e fl ow of current through or
over the surface of an i nsul ati on.
Life Cycle The l i fe of a cabl e or component when exposed to an
envi ronment ei ther i n servi ce or under defi ned test
condi ti on.
Liquid Tight Flexible Conduit
(a) a fl exi bl e metal condui t havi ng a l i qui d- ti ght nonmetal l i c
j acket; or
(b) a fl exi bl e l i qui d- ti ght nonmetal l i c condui t.
Line Voltage The potenti al di fference between two l i nes of a
three phase al ternati ve current ci rcui t.
Line Wire A suspended or aeri al di stri buti on conductor, ei ther
bare or protected from the envi ronment by means of a
coveri ng.
Longitudinal Wrap A tape appl i ed over a cabl e or cabl e
component i n a l ongi tudi nal di recti on.
Location:
Damp Location An exteri or or i nteri or l ocati on that i s
normal l y or peri odi cal l y subj ect to condensati on of moi sture
i n, on, or adj acent to el ectri cal equi pment and i ncl udes
parti al l y protected l ocati ons under canopi es, marquees,
roofed open porches, and si mi l ar l ocati ons.
Dry Location A l ocati on not normal l y subj ect to
dampness, but may i ncl ude a l ocati on subj ect to temporary
dampness as i n the case of bui l di ng under constructi on,
provi ded venti l ati on i s adequate to prevent an accumul ati on
of moi sture.
Wet Location A l ocati on i n whi ch uncontrol l ed l i qui ds
may dri p, spl ash, or fl ow on or agai nst el ectri cal equi pment.
Hazardous location Premi ses, bui l di ngs, or parts
thereof, i n whi ch there exi sts the hazard of fi re or expl osi on,
due to the presence of:
(a) hi ghl y fl ammabl e gases, fl ammabl e vol ati l e l i qui d
mi xtures, or other hi ghl y fl ammabl e substances,
manufactured, used, or stored i n other than ori gi nal
contai ners;
(b) combusti bl e dusts or fi l i ngs l i kel y to be present i n
quanti ti es suffi ci ent to produce an expl osi ve or
combusti bl e mi xture, or where i t i s i mpracti cal to prevent
such dusts or fi l i ngs from col l ecti ng i n or upon motors
or other el ectri cal equi pment i n such quanti ti es as to
produce overheati ng through normal radi ati on bei ng
prevented, or from bei ng deposi ted upon i ncandescent
l amps; or
(c) easi l y i gni tabl e fi bres or materi al produci ng combusti bl e
fi l i ngs, stored i n bal es or contai ners, but not
manufactured or handl ed i n a free open state.
Longitudinal Shield A tape shi el d fl at or corrugated, appl i ed
l ongi tudi nal l y wi th the axi s of the core bei ng shi el ded.
Loop Resistance Total resi stance of two conductors, measured
round tri p from one end (twi sted pai r, shi el d and conductor,
etc.).
Loss Energy di ssi pated wi thout accompl i shi ng useful work.
Loss Factor The product of the di ssi pati on and di el ectri c
constant of an i nsul ati ng materi al .
Lug Termi nati on, usual l y cri mped or sol dered to the conductor,
wi th provi si on for bol ti ng on to termi nal .
M
Magnet Wire Insul ated wi re or rectangul ar stri p i ntended for use
i n wi ndi ngs on motor, transformer and other coi l s for
el ectromagneti c devi ces.
Magnetic Field The regi on surroundi ng a magnet or current-
carryi ng conductor through whi ch magneti c forces act.
Magnetic Flux The fl ow of magneti c energy across or through a
surface (real or i magi nary).
Marker Tape A tape l ai d paral l el to the conductors under the
sheath i n a cabl e, i mpri nted wi th a sui tabl e l egend.
Marker Thread A col oured thread l ai d paral l el and adj acent to
the strands of an i nsul ated conductor, whi ch i denti fi es the
wi re manufacturer and manufacturer pl ant l ocati on.
Melt Index Extrusi on rate of a thermopl asti c pol ymeri c materi al
through an ori fi ce of speci fi ed di ameter and l ength or under
speci fi ed condi ti ons of ti me, temperature and pressure, as a
measure of pol ymer crystal l i ni ty.
Melt Range The di fference i n degrees F or C between the mel t
poi nt of materi al and i ts fl ow poi nt.
Messenger A cabl e used for i ts strength characteri sti cs to
support power conductors and i nsul ated power cabl es. A
messenger can be used as a conductor, parti al conductor, or
non- conductor.
Microwave A short el ectromagneti c wave wi th a wave l ength
usual l y l ess than 30 cm.
Mineral-Insulated Cable A cabl e havi ng bare sol i d
conductor(s) supported and i nsul ated by a hi ghl y
compressed refractory materi al encl osed i n a l i qui d- and
gas- ti ght metal tube sheathi ng; the term i ncl udes both the
regul ar type (MI) and the l i ght- wei ght type (LWMI).
Mining Cable A cabl e havi ng behavi oural and performance
characteri sti cs whi ch render i t sui tabl e for conti nuous use i n
an underground mi ne.
Modulus of Elasticity The rati o of stress to strai n i n a materi al
that i s el asti cal l y deformed.
Moisture Absorption The amount of moi sture, i n percentage,
that a materi al wi l l absorb under speci fi ed condi ti ons.
Monomer The si mpl e, unpol ymeri zed form of a compound,
whi ch i s the bui l di ng bl ock of a pol ymer.
Multi-Conductor A combi nati on of two or more conductors,
cabl ed together and i nsul ated from one another and from
sheath or armour where used.
Multiplex Cable An assembl y of any number of conductors,
wi th or wi thout i ndi vi dual j ackets, i n whi ch no more than
one conductor i s uni nsul ated.
Multi-Wire Branch Circuit A branch ci rcui t consi sti ng of two
or more ungrounded conductors havi ng a vol tage di fference
between them and an i denti fi ed grounded conductor havi ng
equal vol tage between i t and each ungrounded conductor,
wi th thi s grounded conductor connected to the neutral
conductor.
Mutual Capacitance Capaci tance between two conductors
when al l other conductors i ncl udi ng ground are connected
together.
Mylar

A syntheti c compound wi th hi gh di el ectri c qual i ti es.

A product of DuPont. Usual l y sol d i n fi l m form.
N
National Electric Code Instal l ati on code governi ng el ectri cal
i nstal l ati ons i n the Uni ted States.
Neoprene A syntheti c rubber (al so cal l ed pol ychl oroprene) wi th
good resi stance to oi l , chemi cal s, and fl ame.
Neutral Conductor That current- carryi ng conductor of an
al ternati ng current pol yphase ci rcui t whi ch i s connected to
the neutral poi nt of the ci rcui t.
Neutral Point That poi nt or termi nal of a pol yphase al ternati ng
current ci rcui t whi ch i s at a potenti al such that the potenti al
di fferences between i t and each of the other termi nal s of the
same ci rcui t are approxi matel y equal i n magni tude and i n
phase di spl acement.
Neutral Supported Cable A suspended cabl e between pol es or
between a pol e and a bui l di ng i n whi ch the messenger
ful fi l l s the rol e of a current- carryi ng neutral conductor.
National Fire Protection Association Sponsor of the
Nati onal El ectri cal Code i n the Uni ted States.
NMD90 CSA desi gnati on for non metal l i c sheathed cabl e.
Noncombustible Construction That type of constructi on i n
whi ch a degree of fi re safety i s attai ned by the use of
noncombusti bl e materi al s for structural members and other
bui l di ng assembl i es.
Non Hygroscopic A materi al i ncapabl e of taki ng up or
absorbi ng moi sture from the ai r.
Non-Incendive Circuit A ci rcui t i n whi ch any spark or thermal
effect that may occur under normal operati ng condi ti ons or
due to openi ng, shorti ng, or groundi ng of fi el d wi ri ng, i s
i ncapabl e of causi ng an i gni ti on of the prescri bed fl ammabl e
gas or vapour.
Non-Ventilated Cable Tray A cabl e tray wi thout openi ngs
between the i ntegral or separate l ongi tudi nal si de rai l s.
NS-1 Neutral supported cabl e wi th a vol tage rati ng of 300V
maxi mum for overhead resi denti al servi ces.
NSF-2 Neutral supported cabl e, rated up to 600V, si mi l ar to NS- 1
but each i nsul ated conductor i s covered wi th a PVC j acket
whi ch i mparts greater resi stance to fl ame, oi l and
mechani cal damage.
NUAL

An al umi num al l oy formul ated by Al can Cabl e for use i n

bui l di ng wi re appl i cati ons. NUAL i s CSA certi fi ed as an
ACM (Al umi num Conductor Materi al ) meeti ng al l of the
requi rements of the Canadi an El ectri cal Code.
Nylon

An abrasi on- resi stant thermopl asti c wi th good chemi cal

resi stance. A DuPont regi stered trademark.
O
Ohm A uni t of el ectri cal resi stance, the resi stance of a ci rcui t i n
whi ch a potenti al di fference of one vol t produces a current of
one ampere.
Ohms Law Current I i n terms of el ectromoti ve force E and
resi stance R; gi ven by equati on: I = E/R
Operating Temperature Temperature an i nsul ati on i s capabl e
of operati ng at conti nuousl y wi thout ri sk of damage.
Outlet A poi nt i n the wi ri ng i nstal l ati on at whi ch current i s taken
to suppl y uti l i zati on equi pment.
Overcurrent Device Any devi ce capabl e of automati cal l y
openi ng an el ectri c ci rcui t, under both predetermi ned
overl oad and short- ci rcui t condi ti ons, ei ther by fusi ng of
metal or by el ectro- mechani cal means.
Overlap (Overlay) The amount the trai l i ng edge l aps over the
l eadi ng edge of a spi ral tape wrap.
Overload Device A devi ce whi ch wi l l provi de overcurrent
protecti on under overl oad, but not necessari l y short- ci rcui t,
condi ti ons.
Overload Temperature Temperature above the temperature
rati ng of the i nsul ati on.
Overpotential A vol tage above the normal operati ng vol tage of a
devi ce or ci rcui t.
Oxidation The process of uni ti ng a compound wi th oxygen,
usual l y resul ti ng i n unwanted surface degradati on of the
materi al or compound.
Oxygen Index Percentage of oxygen necessary to support
combusti on i n a gas mi xture. Fl ame retardant materi al s have
a hi gher oxygen i ndex.
Ozone Gas whose mol ecul es are compri sed of the el ement
oxygen formed from the i oni zed ai r surroundi ng an el ectri cal
di scharge.
P
Pair Two i nsul ated wi res of a si ngl e ci rcui t twi sted together or
l ai d paral l el .
Parallel Conductors Two or more conductors of l i ke phase so
as to share the phase current i n power ci rcui ts so as to
permi t the use of smal l er conductors.
Percent Conductivity Conducti vi ty of a metal expressed as a
percentage of the i nternati onal anneal ed copper standard
(%IACS).
Permittivity Preferred term for di el ectri c constant.
pH The measure of the aci di ty or al kal i ni ty of a substance,
neutral i ty bei ng at pH 7. Aci d sol uti ons are under 7, al kal i ne
sol uti ons over 7.
Phase A parti cul ar poi nt of advancement or retardati on of current
or vol tage wi th respect to another defi ned reference poi nt i n
an el ectri cal al ternati ng current cycl e measured i n degrees or
radi ans.
Phase Shift Change i n phase of a vol tage or current after
passi ng through a ci rcui t or devi ce.
Pitch See Lay.
Pitch Diameter The di ameter of a ci rcl e passi ng through the
centre of the conductors i n any l ayer of a mul ti - conductor
cabl e.
Plastic See Thermopl asti c.
Plasticizer A chemi cal agent added to pl asti cs to make them
softer and more pl i abl e.
Plastic Deformation Permanent change i n di mensi ons under
mechani cal stress.
Plenum A chamber associ ated wi th ai r- handl i ng apparatus for
di stri buti ng the processed ai r from the apparatus (suppl y
pl enum) to the suppl y ducts or for recei vi ng ai r to be
processed by the apparatus (return pl enum).
Plenum Cable Cabl e approved for i nstal l ati on i n pl enums
spaces, such as suspended cei l i ngs i n bui l di ngs, wi thout
further protecti on.
Polyester Pol yethyl ene terephthal ate whi ch i s used extensi vel y
i n the producti on of a hi gh strength moi sture- resi stant fi l m
used as a cabl e core wrap.
Polyethylene A thermopl asti c pol ymeri c materi al of the fami l y
of pol yol efi ns havi ng excel l ent el ectri cal and physi cal
properti es used for wi re and cabl e i nsul ati on and
j acketi ng.
Polymer A sol i d hydrocarbon formed by pol ymeri zati on, whi ch
resul ts i n the chemi cal uni on of monomers or the conti nued
reacti on between l ower mol ecul ar wei ght pol ymers.
Polyolefin A fami l y of thermopl asti cs based upon the
unsaturated hydrocarbons known as ol efi ns.
Polypropylene A thermopl asti c si mi l ar to pol yethyl ene but
sti ffer and havi ng a hi gher softeni ng poi nt (temperature).
Polyvinyl Chloride A general purpose thermopl asti c compound
based on vi nyl chl ori de, used for l ow vol tage wi re and cabl e
i nsul ati on or j acketi ng.
Power Cables Cabl es of vari ous si zes, constructi on and
i nsul ati on, si ngl e- or mul ti - conductor, desi gned to di stri bute
pri mary power to vari ous types of equi pment.
Power Factor The rati o of the power i n an al ternati ng current
ci rcui t to the product of the scal ar val ues of vol tage and
current.
Primary Insulation The materi al whi ch i s desi gned to provi de
the maj or component of el ectri cal i nsul ati on.
Proximity Effect The phenomenon of non- uni form current
di stri buti on over the cross- secti on of a conductor caused by
the vari ati on of the magneti c fi el d produced by current i n an
adj oi ni ng conductor of an al ternati ng current ci rcui t.
Pulling Eye A devi ce fastened to a conductor or cabl e to whi ch a
hook may be attached i n order to pul l the cabl e.
R
R90 Rubber (Thermoset) i nsul ated wi res i ntended for use i n
raceways.
RA90 CSA desi gnati on for si ngl e- and mul ti - conductor cabl es
havi ng a seaml ess, smooth al umi num sheath or seamed or
seaml ess, corrugated al umi num sheath. Conductors have a
maxi mum temperature rati ng of 90 C.
Raceway A channel desi gned for hol di ng wi res, cabl es, or bus-
bars, whi ch may i ncl ude condui t (ri gi d or fl exi bl e, metal l i c
or nonmetal l i c), el ectri cal metal l i c and nonmetal l i c tubi ng,
underfl oor raceways, cel l ul ar fl oors, surface raceways,
wi reways, cabl e trays, busways, and auxi l i ary gutters.
Rated Voltage That maxi mum vol tage at whi ch an el ectri cal
component i s permi tted to operate for extended peri ods
wi thout undue degradati on or safety hazard.
Reactance Capaci ti ve - That part of the i mpedance of an
al ternati ng current ci rcui t whi ch i s due to capaci tance.
Inducti ve - That part of the i mpedance of an al ternati ng
current ci rcui t whi ch i s due to i nductance.
Redraw The consecuti ve drawi ng of wi re through a seri es of di es
to reach a desi red wi re si ze.
Reducing Joint A j oi nt between two l engths of conductor, where
the conductors are not the same si ze.
Reel Drum Diameter Di ameter of the drum (or hub) of the reel .
Reel Flange Diameter (Reel Height) Di ameter of the reel
fl anges.
Reel Traverse Wi dth of space between reel fl anges.
Reel Width Overal l wi dth of reel .
Reinforced Sheath The outermost coveri ng of a cabl e that has
a cabl e sheath constructed i n l ayers wi th a rei nforci ng
materi al , usual l y a brai ded fi bre, mol ded i n pl ace between
l ayers.
Resistance The property of an el ectri cal ci rcui t determi ned by
the rati o of the appl i ed vol tage to the current under di rect
current condi ti ons, expressed i n ohms.
RH Rubber i nsul ated, heated resi stant cabl e, 75 C dry l ocati ons,
now al l owed to be cross- l i nked pol yethyl ene i nsul ated. (UL
desi gnati on for US bui l di ng wi re.)
RHH Rubber i nsul ated, heat- resi stant cabl e, 90 C dry l ocati ons,
now al l owed to be cross- l i nked pol yethyl ene i nsul ated. (UL
desi gnati on for US bui l di ng wi re.)
RHW Rubber i nsul ated, heat- and moi sture- resi stant cabl e 75 C
dry l ocati ons, now al l owed to be cross- l i nked pol yethyl ene
i nsul ated. (UL desi gnati on for US bui l di ng wi re.)
Ridge Marker One or more ri dges runni ng l ateral l y al ong the
outer surface of an i nsul ated wi re or cabl e for purposes of
i denti fi cati on.
Rod The sol i d round metal l i c form of al umi num or copper from
whi ch to draw wi re.
Rope Strand Conductor A conductor composed of a centre
group of twi sted strands surrounded by one or more l ayers
of si mi l ar groups of twi sted strands.
Rubber An el astomer obtai ned from natural or syntheti c sources
whi ch i s capabl e of rapi d el asti c recovery.
Rupture The separati on of j oi ned or segments of common
materi al , under mechani cal force.
Rural Electrification Administration A branch of the U.S.
Department of Agri cul ture.
RW90 Rubber (Thermoset) i nsul ated cabl e for exposed wi ri ng
where exposed to the weather.
RWU90 Rubber (Thermoset) i nsul ated cabl e for use i n raceways,
except cabl e trays, i n wet l ocati ons.
S
SBR A copol ymer of styrene and butadi ene. Al so GR- S or Buna-
S. Most commonl y used type of syntheti c rubber.
Sealed (Filled) Strand A conductor to whi ch a materi al has
been added to the i ntersti ti al spaces of a stranded conductor
to prevent the l ongi tudi nal penetrati on of water.
Secondary Insulation A non- conducti ve materi al whose pri me
functi on i s to protect the conductor agai nst mechani cal
damage and provi de a second el ectri cal barri er. Pl aced over
the pri mary i nsul ati on.
Sector Cable A mul ti pl e- conductor cabl e i n whi ch the cross-
secti on of each conductor i s approxi matel y the sector of a
ci rcl e.
Segmental Conductor A stranded conductor consi sti ng of two
or more stranded conducti ng el ements, each el ement havi ng
approxi matel y the shape of the sector of a ci rcl e, assembl ed
to gi ve a substanti al l y ci rcul ar cross- secti on.
Self-Extinguishing The characteri sti c of a materi al whose fl ame
i s exti ngui shed after the i gni ti ng fl ame i s removed.
Self-Supporting Cable A cabl e consi sti ng of i nsul ated
conductors, wi th or wi thout j acket, i n an assembl y, whi ch i s
i ntended to be suspended by a messenger.
Semi-Conductor A non- conducti ve materi al made parti al l y
conducti ve by the addi ti on of conducti ve materi al such as
carbon.
Separator A l ayer of i nsul ati ng materi al , usual l y fi brous or
pol ymeri c, whi ch i s pl aced between two components of a
cabl e, such as between conductor and i nsul ati on.
SER Round Servi ce Entrance Cabl e (type SE, styl e R).
UL desi gnati on for US servi ce entrance cabl e.
Series Resistance A seri es of el ectri c resi stance i n whi ch the
total resi stance i s the sum of the component resi stances.
Served Wire Armour Hel i cal wrap of metal wi res appl i ed
around a cabl e to afford mechani cal protecti on and i mprove
the cabl e pul l i ng tensi on characteri sti cs, (mi neshaft,
submari ne cabl e, etc.).
Service Box An approved assembl y consi sti ng of a metal box or
cabi net constructed so that i t may be effectual l y l ocked or
seal ed, contai ni ng ei ther servi ce fuses and a servi ce swi tch
or a ci rcui t breaker, and of such desi gn that ei ther the swi tch
or ci rcui t breaker may be manual l y operated when the box i s
cl osed.
Service, Consumers All that portion of the consumers installation
from the service box or its equivalent up to and including the
point at which the supply authority makes connection.
Service, Supply Any one set of conductors run by a suppl y
authori ty from i ts mai ns to a consumers servi ce.
Service Room A room or space provi ded i n a bui l di ng to
accommodate bui l di ng servi ce equi pment, and constructed
i n accordance wi th the Nati onal Bui l di ng Code of Canada, or
appl i cabl e l ocal l egi sl ati on.
SEU Servi ce Entrance Cabl e (type SE, styl e U). UL desi gnati on for
servi ce entrance cabl e for above ground use.
Sheath The outer metal l i c or nonmetal l i c coveri ng or j acket of a
cabl e, of uni form annul ar cross- secti on.
Shield A metal l i c l ayer pl aced around an i nsul ated conductor or
group of conductors to prevent undesi red el ectrostati c or
el ectromagneti c l i nkages between the encl osed wi res and
external fi el ds.
Short Circuit An abnormal connecti on of rel ati vel y l ow
resi stance between two poi nts on a ci rcui t havi ng a
di fference i n potenti al , causi ng the fl ow of l arge faul t
currents.
Shrink Tubing Tubi ng whi ch has been extruded, cross- l i nked,
and mechani cal l y expanded whi ch when reheated wi l l shri nk
to i ts ori gi nal di ameter.
Side Wall Bearing Pressure A term used i n reference to the
pressure on a cabl e whi ch i s bei ng pul l ed around a curved
surface under tensi on. If excessi ve, SWBP can damage cabl e
components and reduce the l i fe of the cabl e.
Signal Cable A cabl e desi gned to carry el ectri cal si gnal s for the
actuati on of el ectri cal devi ces or communi cati on of
i ntel l i gence.
Silicone A materi al made from si l i cone and oxygen. Can be i n
the thermosetti ng el astomer or l i qui d form. The
thermosetti ng el astomer form i s noted for hi gh heat
resi stance.
Skin Effect The phenomenon of the non- uni form di stri buti on of
current i n the conductor of an al ternati ng current, caused by
the current magneti c fi el d produced by the el ectri cal current
i n that conductor.
Solid Conductor A conductor consi sti ng of a si ngl e wi re, rod or
bar.
Spark Test An overvol tage test of short durati on performed on
wi re and cabl e to detect porosi ty (pi n hol es) or defects i n the
i nsul ati on or other coveri ng.
Specific Gravity The densi ty (mass per uni t vol ume) of any
materi al di vi ded by that of water at a standard temperature.
Specific Inductive Capacity See Di el ectri c Constant.
Splice A connecti on of two or more conductors or cabl es to
provi de good mechani cal strength, as wel l as good el ectri cal
conti nui ty.
Steel Wire Armour Hel i cal wrap of gal vani zed steel wi res
appl i ed around cabl e to afford mechani cal protecti on and
i mprove the cabl e pul l i ng tensi on characteri sti cs.
Strand One of the wi res, of any stranded conductor.
Stranded Conductor A conductor composed of a group of
wi res, or of any combi nati on of groups of wi res, assembl ed
i nto a stabl e confi gurati on.
Strand Shield Shi el d over the conductor and under the
i nsul ati on.
Stress Cone Shaped profi l e of i nsul ati on at termi nati on of
shi el ded cabl e to permi t rel i ef from el ectri cal stress.
Surface Raceway A raceway mounted on a surface, or a
pendant encl osure, consi sti ng of one or more channel s for
the purpose of contai ni ng and protecti ng conductors and
i ntended to accommodate associ ated fi tti ngs, wi ri ng devi ces,
l umi nai res, and accessori es.
Surface Resistivity The resi stance of a materi al between two
opposi te si des of a uni t square of i ts surface.
Systems An el ectri cal energy source deri ved from i ts own
di sti nct transformer or bank of transformers, or generators or
other sources.
T
T90 Nylon Nyl on j acketed thermopl asti c i nsul ated conductor
pri mari l y i ntended for i nstal l ati on i n raceways.
Tank Test A term used to descri be a vol tage di el ectri c test where
the speci men to be tested i s submerged i n a l i qui d (usual l y
water) and vol tage potenti al appl i ed between the conductor
and the l i qui d as ground.
Tear Strength The abi l i ty of a materi al to resi st the force
requi red to i ni ti ate or conti nue a tear i n a materi al under
speci fi ed condi ti ons.
TECK90 Armoured cabl e characteri zed by an assembl y of
i nsul ated conductors covered by an i nner j acket, i nterl ocked
metal l i c armour, and outer coveri ng, for use i n a wi de vari ety
of i ndustri al and other appl i cati ons.
Teflon

DuPont Company trademark for fl uorocarbon resi ns.

(See FEP and TFE).
Temperature Coefficient of Resistance The fracti onal
change of resi stance of a materi al per degree of temperature
change.
Temperature Rating The maxi mum temperature at whi ch an
i nsul ati ng materi al may be used i n conti nuous operati on
wi thout l oss of i ts desi red properti es (i .e. operati ng,
overl oad, short ci rcui t).
Tensile Strength The greatest l ongi tudi nal force requi red to
rupture a materi al .
Tensile Stress Tensi l e force di vi ded by the cross- secti onal area
to whi ch i t i s appl i ed.
Terminal A termi nal i s any fi tti ng on an i tem of el ectri cal
equi pment i ntended for maki ng a conveni ent el ectri cal
connecti on to conductors.
Thermal Aging Loss of mechani cal properti es due to exposure
to an el evated condi ti on or a programmed seri es for
prescri bed peri ods of ti me.
Thermal Cutout A devi ce affordi ng protecti on from excessi ve
current, but not necessari l y short- ci rcui t protecti on, and
contai ni ng a heati ng el ement i n addi ti on to, and affecti ng, a
fusi bl e member whi ch opens the ci rcui t.
Thermal Endurance The ti me at a sel ected temperature for an
i nsul ati ng materi al or system of materi al to deteri orate to
some predetermi ned l evel of el ectri cal , mechani cal or
chemi cal performance under prescri bed condi ti ons of test.
Thermal Expansion (Coefficient of) The fracti onal l i near
change i n di mensi ons of a materi al for a uni t change i n
temperature.
Thermoplastic A pol ymeri c based materi al that can be
repeatedl y softened by heati ng and hardened by cool i ng, and
that i n the softened state can be shaped through the
appl i cati on of force.
Thermoset A pol ymeri c based materi al that, when cross- l i nked,
wi l l not soften to the poi nt of fl owi ng wi th subsequent
appl i cati on of heat.
THHN UL desi gnati on for thermopl asti c i nsul ated, heat- and
moi sture- resi stant, nyl on j acketed cabl e, 90 C dry l ocati on.
(UL desi gnati on for bui l di ng wi re si mi l ar to CSA desi gnated
T90).
THHN-2 UL desi gnati on for thermopl asti c i nsul ated, heat- and
moi sture- resi stant, nyl on j acket cabl e, 90 C dry and wet
l ocati on.
THW UL desi gnati on for thermopl asti c i nsul ated, heat- and
moi sture- resi stant, 75 C dry and wet l ocati on. (UL
desi gnati on for bui l di ng wi re si mi l ar to CSA desi gnated
TW75).
THWN UL desi gnati on for thermopl asti c i nsul ated, heat- and
moi sture- resi stant, nyl on j acket cabl e, 75 C dry and wet
l ocati on.
Three Conductor Cable Three i nsul ated conductors assembl ed
wi th or wi thout other cabl e components (shi el d, fi l l er, etc.) to
form a core, protected by an overal l j acket, and / or other
coveri ngs.
Three-Phase Current Current del i vered through three wi res,
wi th each wi re servi ng as a return for the other two and wi th
three current components di fferi ng i n phase successi vel y by
one- thi rd cycl e or 120 el ectri cal degrees.
Tinned Wire Copper wi re that has been coated wi th a l ayer of ti n
or sol der to si mpl i fy sol deri ng.
Tolerance A speci fi ed al l owance for devi ati on from a standard
nomi nal or gi ven di mensi on, wei ght or property.
Tracer A means of i denti fyi ng pol ari ty, by means of bands of
contrasti ng col our i n brai d or wi nd, or surface ri dges to an
el ectri cal system.
Transformer A pi ece of equi pment capabl e of changi ng vol tage
i n an al ternati ng current system.
Transmission Line A hi gh vol tage arrangement of bare
conductors, together wi th thei r mechani cal and el ectri cal
support systems, whi ch i nterconnect the mai n generati ng
stati ons wi th the subtransmi ssi on or pri mary di stri buti on
transformers of an el ectri cal system.
Transmission Loss A term used to denote a decrease or l oss i n
power duri ng the transmi ssi on of energy from one poi nt to
another.
Tray Cable A factory assembl ed mul ti - conductor or mul ti - pai r
control , si gnal or power cabl e speci fi cal l y approved under
the Canadi an El ectri cal Code for i nstal l ati on i n trays.
Tree Wire A conductor wi th an abrasi on resi stant outer coveri ng,
usual l y nonmetal l i c, and i ntended for use on overhead l i nes
passi ng through trees.
Triad Three i nsul ated wi res of a si ngl e ci rcui t formi ng a uni t.
(Two or more uni ts are cabl ed to form a mul ti - tri ad cabl e.)
Triplex Cable A cabl e assembl y composed of three si ngl e-
conductors of whi ch at l east two are i nsul ated, wi th or
wi thout j ackets or coveri ngs over the i nsul ati on.
TW Thermopl asti c i nsul ated, moi sture- resi stant cabl e. 60 C wet
or dry l ocati on.
TW75 Thermopl asti c i nsul ated, moi sture- resi stant cabl e. 75 C
wet l ocati on.
Twin Cable A pai r of i nsul ated conductors twi sted and/ or
sheathed, or hel d together mechani cal l y and not i denti fi abl e
from each other i n a common coveri ng.
Twisted Pair A cabl e composed of two smal l i nsul ated
conductors, twi sted together wi thout a common coveri ng.
Two-Phase Current Current del i vered through two pai rs of
wi res (or a three wi re system) wi th a phase di fference
between the currents i n the two pai rs.
U
Ultraviolet Degradation The l oss of mechani cal properti es
caused by l ong- ti me exposure of a materi al to ul travi ol et
rays, such as are present i n natural sunl i ght.
Underfloor raceway A raceway set i n the fl oor.
Unidirectional Concentric Stranding A concentri c stranded
conductor, i n whi ch al l l ayers have the same di recti on of l ay.
Unilay Conductor Conductor constructed wi th a central core
surrounded by more than one l ayer of hel i cal l y l ai d wi res, al l
l ayers havi ng common l ength and di recti on of l ay.
USE UL desi gnati on for underground servi ce entrance cabl e,
rated 75 C wet l ocati on.
Utilization Equipment Equi pment whi ch uti l i zes el ectri cal
energy for mechani cal , chemi cal , heati ng, l i ghti ng, or si mi l ar
useful purposes.
V
Vault (Transformer vault or electrical equipment vault)
An i sol ated encl osure, ei ther above or bel ow ground, wi th
fi re- resi sti ng wal l s, cei l i ngs, and fl oors, for the purpose of
housi ng transformers and other el ectri cal equi pment.
Ventilated Cable Tray A cabl e tray consi sti ng of a venti l ated
bottom between i ntegral l ongi tudi nal si de rai l s wi th no
openi ngs exceedi ng 50 mm i n a l ongi tudi nal di recti on.
Volt A uni t of el ectromoti ve force and potenti al di fference.
Voltage The term most often used i n pl ace of el ectromoti ve force,
potenti al , potenti al di fference, or vol tage drop, to desi gnate
el ectri c pressure that exi sts between two poi nts and i s
capabl e of produci ng a fl ow of current when a cl osed ci rcui t
i s connected between the two poi nts.
Voltage Drop A vol tage l oss occurri ng between any two poi nts
i n a power ci rcui t due to i mpedance.
Voltage, Extra-Low Any vol tage up to and i ncl udi ng 30V.
Voltage, Low Any vol tage from 31 up to and i ncl udi ng 750V.
Voltage, High Any vol tage over 750V.
Voltage Rating The hi ghest RMS vol tage between two
conductors of a ci rcui t that i s permi tted to be conti nuousl y
appl i ed to a cabl e.
Volume Resistivity The el ectri cal resi stance between opposi te
faces of uni form uni t cube of i nsul ati on materi al , commonl y
expressed i n ohms- centi meter.
Vulcanization Cross- l i nki ng effected by the addi ti on of sul fur to
the materi al before sui tabl e heat- treatment.
VW-1 A fl ammabi l i ty rati ng establ i shed by Underwri ters
Laboratori es for wi res and cabl es that pass a speci al l y
desi gned verti cal fl ame test, formerl y desi gnated FR- 1.
Si mi l ar to CSA desi gnati on FT1.
W
Wall Thickness A term used to express the thi ckness of a l ayer
of appl i ed i nsul ati on or j acket.
Water Absorption Rati o of the wei ght of water absorbed by a
materi al to the wei ght of the dry materi al . Usual l y expressed
i n percent.
Water Blocked Cable A cabl e constructed wi th no i nternal
voi ds i n order to al l ow no l ongi tudi nal water passage under
a gi ven pressure.
Watt Uni t of power, or work done at rate of one j oul e per second,
or rate of work represented by current of one ampere under a
pressure of one vol t (vol t- ampere).
Wave Length The di stance, measured i n the di recti on of
propagati on, of a repeti ti ve el ectri cal pul se or wave- form
between two successi ve poi nts that are characteri zed by the
same phase or waveform.
Weather Resistance The abi l i ty of a conductor to wi thstand
envi ronmental condi ti ons.
Wicking The l ongi tudi nal transmi ssi on of a l i qui d i n a wi re or
cabl e component, due to capi l l ary acti on.
Wireway A raceway consi sti ng of a compl etel y encl osi ng
arrangement of metal troughi ng, and fi tti ngs thereof, so
formed and constructed that i nsul ated conductors may be
readi l y drawn i n and wi thdrawn, or l ai d i n and removed, after
the wi reway has been compl etel y i nstal l ed, wi thout i nj ury
ei ther to conductors or thei r coveri ng.
Wire Gauge See Ameri can Wi re Gauge.
Wrapping The method of i nsul ati ng wi re by servi ng i nsul ati ng
tapes around a conductor.
X
XHHW Cross- l i nked pol yethyl ene i nsul ated, 90 C dry l ocati on,
75 C wet l ocati on.
XHHW-2 Cross- l i nked pol yethyl ene i nsul ated, 90 C wet or dry
l ocati on.
XLPE Cross- l i nked pol yethyl ene.
Y
Yield Strength The mi ni mum stress at whi ch a materi al wi l l start
to permanentl y deform under mechani cal l oad.
AA Al umi num Associ ati on.
AAAC Al l Al umi num Al l oy Conductor.
AAC Al l Al umi num Conductor.
AASC Al umi num Al l oy Stranded Conductor.
AC Al ternati ng Current.
ACM Al umi num Conductor Materi al .
ACSR Al umi num Conductor Steel Rei nforced.
AEIC Associ ati on of Edi son Il l umi nati ng Compani es.
AIA Al umi num Interl ocked Armour.
AWG Ameri can Wi re Gauge.
ANSI Ameri can Nati onal Standards Insti tute.
ASC Al umi num Stranded Conductor.
ASHRAE Ameri can Soci ety of Heati ng, Refri gerati ng & Ai r
Condi ti oni ng Engi neers.
ASTM Ameri can Soci ety for Testi ng Materi al s.
AWM Appl i ance Wi ri ng Materi al .
CEA Canadi an El ectri cal Associ ati on.
CEC Canadi an El ectri cal Code.
CANENA Consej o de Armoni zaci on de Normas El ectrotecni cas
de Norte Ameri ca (Counci l for Harmoni zati on of
El ectrotechni cal Standardi zati on of North Ameri ca).
CTR Certi fi ed Test Report.
CMA Ci rcul ar Mi l Area.
CV Conti nuous Vul cani zati on.
CSA Canadi an Standard Associ ati on.
DC Di rect Current.
EC Grade of al umi num El ectri cal Conductor (Al l oy 1350).
EEMAC El ectri cal and El ectroni c Manufacturers Associ ati on of
Canada (US. counterpart i s NEMA).
EFC El ectro- Federati on of Canada.
e.m.f. El ectromoti ve Force.
EMRC Energy Mi nes and Resources Canada.
EPDM Ethyl ene- Propyl ene- Di ene Monomer Rubber.
EPR Ethyl ene Propyl ene Rubber.
ESCR Envi ronmental Stress Cracki ng Resi stance.
FEP Fl uori nated Ethyl ene Propyl ene i nsul ated wi re.
ACRONYM
FM (FMRC) Factory Mutual (Factory Mutual Research
Corporati on).
HDPE Hi gh Densi ty Pol yethyl ene.
Hi Pot Hi gh Potenti al .
IACS Internati onal Anneal ed Copper Standard.
IAEI Internati onal Associ ati on of El ectri cal Inspectors.
ICC Insul ated Conductor Commi ttee.
ICEA Insul ated Cabl e Engi neers Associ ati on.
IEC Internati onal El ectrotechni cal Commi ssi on.
IEEE Insti tute of El ectri cal and El ectroni c Engi neers.
ISO Internati onal Organi zati on for Standards.
LDPE Low Densi ty Pol yethyl ene.
LFS/LGE Low Fl ame Spread/ Low Gas Emi ssi on.
LLDPE Li near Low Densi ty Pol yethyl ene.
MCM One thousand Ci rcul ar Mi l s (kcmi l ).
MDPE Medi um Densi ty Pol yethyl ene.
NEC Nati onal El ectri c Code.
NEMA Nati onal El ectri cal Manufacturers Associ ati on.
NFPA Nati onal Fi re Protecti on Associ ati on.
OSHA Occupati onal Safety and Heal th Associ ati on.
PE Pol yethyl ene.
PPE Pol ypropyl ene.
PVC Pol yvi nyl Chl ori de.
REA Rural El ectri fi cati on Admi ni strati on.
RMS Root- Mean- Square.
SCC Standards Counci l of Canada.
SDC Sel f Dampi ng Conductor.
SIA Steel Interl ocked Armour.
SWBP Si de Wal l Beari ng Pressure.
SIC Speci fi c Inducti ve Capaci ty.
SWA Steel Wi re Armour.
TFE Tetrafl uoroeythl ene.
UL Underwri ters Laboratori es Inc.
UV Ul travi ol et.
ACRONYM
BASIC METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS
TO CONVERT INTO MULTIPLY BY
ci rcul ar mi l s sq cm 5.067 x 10
- 6
ci rcul ar mi l s sq mi l s 0.7854
ci rcul ar mi l s sq i nches 7.854 x 10
- 7
cubi c i nches cu cm 16.39
cubi c i nches cu feet 5.787 x 10
- 4
cubi c i nches cu meters 1.639 x 10
- 5
cubi c i nches gal l ons 4.329 x 10
- 3
cubi c i nches l i tres 0.01639
feet centi meters 30.48
feet ki l ometers 3.048 x 10
- 4
feet meters 0.3048
feet mi l l i meters 304.8
feet mi l s 1.2 x 10
4
i nches centi meters 2.540
i nches meters 2.540 x 10
- 2
i nches mi l es 1.578 x 10
- 5
i nches mi l l i meters 25.40
i nches mi l s 1,000.0
ki l ograms pounds 2.205
ki l ograms tons (l ong) 9.842 x 10
- 4
ki l ograms tons (short) 1.102 x 10
- 3
ki l ograms tons, metri c 0.001
ki l ograms grams 1,000.0
ki l ograms per ki l ometer pound per foot 0.00067197
ki l ograms per sq mi l l i meter pound per sq i nch 1422.34
ki l ometers centi meters 10
5
ki l ometers feet 3,281.0
ki l ometers i nches 3.937 x 10
4
ki l ometers meters 1,000.0
ki l ometers mi l es 0.6214
ki l ometers mi l l i meters 10
6
ki l ometers yards 1.094
BASIC METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS
TO CONVERT INTO MULTIPLY BY
meters centi meters 100.0
meters feet 3.281
meters i nches 39.37
meters ki l ometers 0.001
meters mi l l i meters 1,000.0
meters yards 1.094
mi l l i meters centi meters 0.1
mi l l i meters feet 3.281 x 10
- 3
mi l l i meters i nches 0.03937
mi l l i meters ki l ometers 10
- 6
mi l l i meters meters 0.001
Newton/ MM
2
PSI 145.037
Pounds Force Newton 4.448
pounds ki l ograms 0.4536
pounds/ foot ki l ograms per ki l ometer 1488.16
pound/ sq i n Newton/ MM
2
0.006895
pounds/ sq i n kgs/ sq meter 703.1
pounds/ sq i n pounds/ sq ft 144.0
square i nches ci rcul ar mi l s 1.273 x 10
6
square i nches sq cm 6.452
square i nches sq feet 6.944 x 10
- 3
square i nches sq mi l l i meters 645.2
square i nches sq mi l s 10
6
square mi l l i meters ci rcul ar mi l s 1.973
square mi l l i meters sq cm 0.01
square mi l l i meters sq feet 1.076 x 10
- 5
square mi l l i meters sq i nches 1.550 x 10
- 3
tons (l ong) ki l ograms 1,016.0
tons (l ong) pounds 2,240.0
tons (l ong) tons (short) 1.120
tons (metri c) ki l ograms 1,000.0
tons (metri c) pounds 2,205.0
tons (short) ki l ograms 907.0848
tons (short) ounces 32,000.0
tons (short) ounces (troy) 29,166.66
tons (short) pounds 2,000.0
WIRE SIZE COMPARISON
AWG-kcmil Vs INCH
2
Vs MM
2
Wire Size Wire Size Wire Size Wire Size
AWG kcmil mm
2
inch
2
14 4.11 2.1 0.0032
12 6.53 3.3 0.0051
10 10.38 5.3 0.0082
9 13.09 6.6 0.0103
8 16.51 8.4 0.01296
7 20.82 10.6 0.01635
6 26.24 13.3 0.02061
5 33.09 16.8 0.02598
4 41.74 21.2 0.3278
3 52.62 26.7 0.04133
2 66.36 33.6 0.05212
1 83.69 42.4 0.06573
1/ 0 105.6 53.5 0.08294
2/ 0 133.1 67.4 0.10454
3/ 0 167.8 85.0 0.13179
4/ 0 211.6 107.2 0.16619
250.0 126.7 0.19635
300.0 152.0 0.23562
350.0 177.3 0.27489
400.0 202.7 0.31416
450.0 228.0 0.35343
500.0 253.4 0.39270
550 278.7 0.43197
600 304.0 0.47124
650 329.4 0.51051
700 354.7 0.54978
750 380.0 0.58905
800 405.4 0.62832
900 456.0 0.70686
1000 506.7 0.78540
1100 557.4 0.86394
1200 608.1 0.94248
1250 633.4 0.98175
1300 658.7 1.02102
1400 709.4 1.09956
1500 760.1 1.17810
1600 810.7 1.25664
1700 861.4 1.33518
1800 912.1 1.41372
1900 962.7 1.49226
2000 1013.4 1.57080
BASIC METRIC UNITS
MAGNITUDE (POWERS OF 10)
PREFIX SYMBOL MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
tera T 1 000 000 000 000 = 10
12
gi ga G 1 000 000 000 = 10
9
mega M 1 000 000 = 10
6
ki l o k 1 000 = 10
3
hecto h 100 = 10
2
deka da 10 = 10
1
1 = 10
0
deci d 0.1 = 10
- 1
centi c 0.01 = 10
- 2
mi l l i m 0.001 = 10
- 3
mi cro u 0.000 001 = 10
- 6
nano n 0.000 000 001 = 10
- 9
pi co p 0.000 000 000 001 = 10
- 12
femto f 0.000 000 000 000 001 = 10
- 15
atto a 0.000 000 000 000 000 001 = 10
- 18