Glossary | Paige Electric

Term	Description
A.C. Resistance	The total resistance offered by a device in an alternating current circuit due to inductive and capacitive effects, as well as the direct current resistance
Abrasion Resistance	Ability of a wire, cable or material to resist surface wear
Accelerated Aging	A test in which voltage, temperature, and other factors are increased above normal operating values to obtain observable deterioration in a relatively short period of time. The plotted results give expected service life under normal conditions.
Accelerated Life Test	A test in which certain factors such as voltage, temperature, etc., to which a cable is subjected are increased in magnitude above normal operating values to obtain observable deterioration in a reasonable period of time
Accelerator	A chemical additive which hastens a chemical reaction under specific conditions
Activator	A chemical additive used to initiate the chemical reaction in a specific chemical mixture
Active Current	In an alternating current, the component in phase with the voltage; the working component as distinguished from the idle or wattless component
Active Pressure	In an A.C. circuit, the pressure which produces a current, as distinguished from the voltage impressed upon the circuit
Adhesion	The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces which, may be chemical or mechanical in nature
Admittance	The measure of the ease with which an alternating current flows in a circuit; the reciprocal of impedance
Aerial Cable	A cable suspended in the air, on a pole or other overhead structure
Aging	The irreversible change in properties or appearance of a material with time and specific conditions (usually accelerated representations of environmental states, such as high temperature, oxygen or other various conditions or media)
Air Core Cable	A telephone cable in which the interstices in the cable core are not filled with a moisture barrier
Air Spaced Coaxial Cable	A cable where air is the essential dielectric material; a spirally wound synthetic filament or spacer may be used to center the conductor
Alloy	A metal formed by combining two or more different metals to obtain desirable properties
Alpeth	An aerial telephone cable having an aluminum shield
ALS	A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous closely fitting aluminum tube
Alternating Current (AC)	Electric current that continually reverses its direction; expressed in hertz or Hz (cycles per second)
Alternating Voltage	The voltage developed across a resistance or impedance through which alternating currents are flowing
Aluminum (AI)	A conductor that has similar properties to copper, used only in very specific applications
Ambient Temperature	Any all-encompassing temperature within a given area
Ampacity	The maximum current an insulated wire or cable can safely carry without exceeding either the insulation or jacket material limitations (same as Current Carrying Capacity)
Ampere	The unit of current. One ampere is the current flowing through one "ohm" of resistance at one volt potential
Anneal	Relief of mechanical stress through heat and gradual cooling. Annealing copper renders it less brittle.
Anode	The electrode through which a direct current enters the liquid, gas or other discrete part of an electrical circuit; the positively charged pole of an electrochemical cell
ANSI	American National Standards Institute
Anti-Oxidant	A substance that prevents or slows down oxygen decomposition (oxidation) of a material exposed to air
Anti-Oxonant	A substance which prevents or slows down material degradation due to ozone reaction
Appliance Wiring Material	UL (Underwriter's Laboratories) Subject 758
Appliance Wiring Material Products	CSA (Canadian Standards Association International) Standard C22.2 No. 210.2; CSA Standard C22.2 No. 0; Canadian Electrical Code, Part II

A.C. Resistance

The total resistance offered by a device in an alternating current circuit due to inductive and capacitive effects, as well as the direct current resistance

Abrasion Resistance

Ability of a wire, cable or material to resist surface wear

Accelerated Aging

A test in which voltage, temperature, and other factors are increased above normal operating values to obtain observable deterioration in a relatively short period of time. The plotted results give expected service life under normal conditions.

Accelerated Life Test

A test in which certain factors such as voltage, temperature, etc., to which a cable is subjected are increased in magnitude above normal operating values to obtain observable deterioration in a reasonable period of time

Accelerator

A chemical additive which hastens a chemical reaction under specific conditions

Activator

A chemical additive used to initiate the chemical reaction in a specific chemical mixture

Active Current

In an alternating current, the component in phase with the voltage; the working component as distinguished from the idle or wattless component

Active Pressure

In an A.C. circuit, the pressure which produces a current, as distinguished from the voltage impressed upon the circuit

Adhesion

The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces which, may be chemical or mechanical in nature

Admittance

The measure of the ease with which an alternating current flows in a circuit; the reciprocal of impedance

Aerial Cable

A cable suspended in the air, on a pole or other overhead structure

Aging

The irreversible change in properties or appearance of a material with time and specific conditions (usually accelerated representations of environmental states, such as high temperature, oxygen or other various conditions or media)

Air Core Cable

A telephone cable in which the interstices in the cable core are not filled with a moisture barrier

Air Spaced Coaxial Cable

A cable where air is the essential dielectric material; a spirally wound synthetic filament or spacer may be used to center the conductor

Alloy

A metal formed by combining two or more different metals to obtain desirable properties

Alpeth

An aerial telephone cable having an aluminum shield

ALS

A type of cable consisting of insulated conductors enclosed in a continuous closely fitting aluminum tube

Alternating Current (AC)

Electric current that continually reverses its direction; expressed in hertz or Hz (cycles per second)

Alternating Voltage

The voltage developed across a resistance or impedance through which alternating currents are flowing

Aluminum (AI)

A conductor that has similar properties to copper, used only in very specific applications

Ambient Temperature

Any all-encompassing temperature within a given area

Ampacity

The maximum current an insulated wire or cable can safely carry without exceeding either the insulation or jacket material limitations (same as Current Carrying Capacity)

Ampere

The unit of current. One ampere is the current flowing through one "ohm" of resistance at one volt potential

Anneal

Relief of mechanical stress through heat and gradual cooling. Annealing copper renders it less brittle.

Anode

The electrode through which a direct current enters the liquid, gas or other discrete part of an electrical circuit; the positively charged pole of an electrochemical cell

ANSI

American National Standards Institute

Anti-Oxidant

A substance that prevents or slows down oxygen decomposition (oxidation) of a material exposed to air

Anti-Oxonant

A substance which prevents or slows down material degradation due to ozone reaction

Appliance Wiring Material

UL (Underwriter's Laboratories) Subject 758

Appliance Wiring Material Products

CSA (Canadian Standards Association International) Standard C22.2 No. 210.2; CSA Standard C22.2 No. 0; Canadian Electrical Code, Part II

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