Compared with solid wire, stranded wire has more which property?

Compared with solid wire, stranded wire has more which property?

• A. Higher rigidity
• B. Higher attenuation
• C. Lower cost
• D. Higher current rating

Answer: (B)

Attenuation is the signal loss per length, which grows as the conductor’s resistance increases. At higher frequencies, current tends to flow near the surface of conductors (skin effect). Stranded wire has many small surface areas on each strand and more interfaces between strands, which increases resistive losses for AC signals. Those extra surface paths and interstrand contacts raise the effective resistance seen by high-frequency currents, so the wire exhibits more attenuation than a solid conductor of the same overall-gauge cross-section. Rigidness, cost, and current rating are governed by other factors and don’t explain the higher attenuation.

Attenuation is the signal loss per length, which grows as the conductor’s resistance increases. At higher frequencies, current tends to flow near the surface of conductors (skin effect). Stranded wire has many small surface areas on each strand and more interfaces between strands, which increases resistive losses for AC signals. Those extra surface paths and interstrand contacts raise the effective resistance seen by high-frequency currents, so the wire exhibits more attenuation than a solid conductor of the same overall-gauge cross-section. Rigidness, cost, and current rating are governed by other factors and don’t explain the higher attenuation.