Which statement best describes the impact of using stranded wire at high data frequencies compared to solid wire of the same gauge?

Which statement best describes the impact of using stranded wire at high data frequencies compared to solid wire of the same gauge?

• A. Stranded wire can cause up to 20% more attenuation
• B. Stranded wire reduces attenuation
• C. Attenuation is unaffected by stranded
• D. Attenuation depends only on jacket material

Answer: (A)

This is about how the way copper is built affects signal loss at high frequencies. When data frequencies rise, copper losses grow because of resistive heating and frequency-dependent effects like the skin effect, where current concentrates near the conductor’s surface. Solid wire provides a uniform cross-section for current, so at high frequencies the path is straightforward and the effective resistance grows mainly with the metal itself. Stranded wire, while having more flexibility, introduces many small contacts and tiny gaps between strands. Those contacts add contact resistance and create micro-parasitic paths that don’t carry current as efficiently as a solid cross-section. The result is a higher effective resistance at RF, which translates into greater attenuation. In practice, this difference can amount to about 20% more attenuation for stranded wire compared to solid wire of the same gauge, though the exact amount depends on frequency and how the strands are bundled. So, stranded wire does not reduce attenuation; it tends to increase it at high data frequencies, while the jacket material and other factors aren’t the sole determinants of attenuation.

This is about how the way copper is built affects signal loss at high frequencies. When data frequencies rise, copper losses grow because of resistive heating and frequency-dependent effects like the skin effect, where current concentrates near the conductor’s surface.

Solid wire provides a uniform cross-section for current, so at high frequencies the path is straightforward and the effective resistance grows mainly with the metal itself. Stranded wire, while having more flexibility, introduces many small contacts and tiny gaps between strands. Those contacts add contact resistance and create micro-parasitic paths that don’t carry current as efficiently as a solid cross-section. The result is a higher effective resistance at RF, which translates into greater attenuation. In practice, this difference can amount to about 20% more attenuation for stranded wire compared to solid wire of the same gauge, though the exact amount depends on frequency and how the strands are bundled.

So, stranded wire does not reduce attenuation; it tends to increase it at high data frequencies, while the jacket material and other factors aren’t the sole determinants of attenuation.