The NEC table used to determine conductor ampacity is:

The NEC table used to determine conductor ampacity is:

• A. Table 310.16
• B. Table 310.12
• C. Table 240.6
• D. Table 400.100

Answer: (A)

Ampacity is the amount of current a conductor can carry safely without overheating. In the NEC, you determine this by looking up the conductor size (AWG or kcmil) and the insulation’s temperature rating in Table 310.16. That table lists the allowable current for copper and aluminum conductors for common insulation types, with columns for 60°C, 75°C, and 90°C ratings. To size a circuit, you choose the conductor size and the temperature rating of the terminations, then read the maximum current from Table 310.16. Other NEC tables serve different purposes—for example, some specify minimum overcurrent protection sizes or ampacities for flexible cords—so they don’t provide the general conductor ampacity used for sizing circuits.

Ampacity is the amount of current a conductor can carry safely without overheating. In the NEC, you determine this by looking up the conductor size (AWG or kcmil) and the insulation’s temperature rating in Table 310.16. That table lists the allowable current for copper and aluminum conductors for common insulation types, with columns for 60°C, 75°C, and 90°C ratings. To size a circuit, you choose the conductor size and the temperature rating of the terminations, then read the maximum current from Table 310.16. Other NEC tables serve different purposes—for example, some specify minimum overcurrent protection sizes or ampacities for flexible cords—so they don’t provide the general conductor ampacity used for sizing circuits.