Combining different gauge wires together

[AJ Bertelson]

I have 3 wire gauges

8
12
18

If I combine all of them together connect the 8 to the 12 and the 12 to the 18 what is my equivalent gauge.

I am trying to undstand wire properties a bit better as I always go off the motto that you device is only as good as your weakest part.

[officeboy]

By my calculations you would have about a 6.27 AWG wire if these strands of 8,12, and 18 were parallel (25.05943738 mm2 wire area). But if they were just serial, or one attached to the end of another then the smallest diameter wire (18) is the bottleneck and therefore your total “size” is 18awg.

[AJ Bertelson]

ok so my next question is if I wire all my internal stuff in my amp with 20 gauge and have the wires going from the amp to the speakers be 12 gauge.

What is the advantage of using the 12 gauge? Wouldn't you just want to use the same 20 gauge wiring?

[Tensop]

the 12 guage would look better

but err, thats all i can think of besides that there would be less resistance with lower guage wiring

[officeboy]

The distance and resistance also comes into play.

use a calculator like this to work that out.
http://www.electrician.com/vd_calculator.html

Since internal wire is generally short it can also be thinner, Speaker wire generally needs to be a thicker since it runs many many times the distance of the internal wire.

[AJ Bertelson]

Originally posted by officeboy
The distance and resistance also comes into play.

use a calculator like this to work that out.
http://www.electrician.com/vd_calculator.html

Since internal wire is generally short it can also be thinner, Speaker wire generally needs to be a thicker since it runs many many times the distance of the internal wire.

gotcha, thanks for the answer.