NEC Tables · Chapter 9

Chapter 9, Table 9 — AC resistance and reactance

When the circuit is AC and the wire is big, this replaces Table 8 — resistance, reactance, and effective Z at 0.85 PF.

Free · NEC 2023 · Updated
3.2 Ω/kFT
· AluminumConduit
from Chapter 9, Table 9
Exam trapThe conduit material changes the answer: the same 250 kcmil copper reads differently in PVC vs steel conduit. Read the column headers before the row.

Table 9 accounts for skin effect and conduit material — things DC resistance ignores. For AC voltage-drop questions, take the effective impedance column for your conduit type and treat it like resistance in the drop formula.

XL (Reactance) for All WiresAlternating-CurrentResistance forUncoatedCopper WiresAlternating-CurrentResistance forAluminum WiresEffective Z at 0.85 PFfor Uncoated CopperWiresEffective Z at 0.85 PFfor AluminumWires
Size(AWGor kcmil)PVC,AluminumConduitsSteelConduitPVCConduitAluminumConduitSteelConduitPVCConduitAluminumConduitSteelConduitPVCConduitAluminumConduitSteelConduitPVCConduitAluminumConduitSteelConduitSize(AWGor kcmil)
140.1900.24010.210.210.2———8.98.98.9———14
0.0580.0733.13.13.1———2.72.72.7———
120.1770.2236.66.66.610.510.510.55.65.65.69.29.29.212
0.0540.0682.02.02.03.23.23.21.71.71.72.82.82.8
100.1640.2073.93.93.96.66.66.63.63.63.65.95.95.910
0.0500.0631.21.21.22.02.02.01.11.11.11.81.81.8
80.1710.2132.562.562.564.34.34.32.262.262.303.63.63.68
0.0520.0650.780.780.781.31.31.30.690.690.701.11.11.1
60.1670.2101.611.611.612.662.662.661.441.481.482.332.362.366
0.0510.0640.490.490.490.810.810.810.440.450.450.710.720.72
40.1570.1971.021.021.021.671.671.670.950.950.981.511.511.514
0.0480.0600.310.310.310.510.510.510.290.290.300.460.460.46
30.1540.1940.820.820.821.311.351.310.750.790.791.211.211.213
0.0470.0590.250.250.250.400.410.400.230.240.240.370.370.37
20.1480.1870.620.660.661.051.051.050.620.620.660.980.980.982
0.0450.0570.190.200.200.320.320.320.190.190.200.300.300.30
10.1510.1870.490.520.520.820.850.820.520.520.520.790.790.821
0.0460.0570.150.160.160.250.260.250.160.160.160.240.240.25
1/00.1440.1800.390.430.390.660.690.660.430.430.430.620.660.661/0
0.0440.0550.120.130.120.200.210.200.130.130.130.190.200.20
2/00.1410.1770.330.330.330.520.520.520.360.360.360.520.520.522/0
0.0430.0540.100.100.100.160.160.160.110.110.110.160.160.16
3/00.1380.1710.2530.2690.2590.430.430.430.2890.3020.3080.430.430.463/0
0.0420.0520.0770.0820.0790.130.130.130.0880.0920.0940.130.130.14
4/00.1350.1670.2030.2200.2070.330.360.330.2430.2560.2620.360.360.364/0
0.0410.0510.0620.0670.0630.100.110.100.0740.0780.0800.110.110.11
2500.1350.1710.1710.1870.1770.2790.2950.2820.2170.2300.2400.3080.3220.33250
0.0410.0520.0520.0570.0540.0850.0900.0860.0660.0700.0730.0940.0980.10
3000.1350.1670.1440.1610.1480.2330.2490.2360.1940.2070.2130.2690.2820.289300
0.0410.0510.0440.0490.0450.0710.0760.0720.0590.0630.0650.0820.0860.088
3500.1310.1640.1250.1410.1280.2000.2170.2070.1740.1900.1970.2400.2530.262350
0.0400.0500.0380.0430.0390.0610.0660.0630.0530.0580.0600.0730.0770.080
4000.1310.1610.1080.1250.1150.1770.1940.1800.1610.1740.1840.2170.2330.240400
0.0400.0490.0330.0380.0350.0540.0590.0550.0490.0530.0560.0660.0710.073
5000.1280.1570.0890.1050.0950.1410.1570.1480.1410.1570.1640.1870.2000.210500
0.0390.0480.0270.0320.0290.0430.0480.0450.0430.0480.0500.0570.0610.064
6000.1280.1570.0750.0920.0820.1180.1350.1250.1310.1440.1540.1670.1800.190600
0.0390.0480.0230.0280.0250.0360.0410.0380.0400.0440.0470.0510.0550.058
7500.1250.1570.0620.0790.0690.0950.1120.1020.1180.1310.1410.1480.1610.171750
0.0380.0480.0190.0240.0210.0290.0340.0310.0360.0400.0430.0450.0490.052
10000.1210.1510.0490.0620.0590.0750.0890.0820.1050.1180.1310.1280.1380.1511000
0.0370.0460.0150.0190.0180.0230.0270.0250.0320.0360.0400.0390.0420.046
Notes that change the answer — 9.9

Notes:

1. These values are based on the following constants: UL-Type RHH wires with Class B stranding, in cradled configuration. Wire conductivities are 100 percent IACS copper and 61 percent IACS aluminum, and aluminum conduit is 45 percent IACS. Capacitive reactance is ignored, since it is negligible at these voltages. These resistance values are valid only at 75°C (167°F) and for the parameters as given, but are representative for 600-volt wire types operating at 60 Hz.

2. Effective Z is defined as R cos(θ) + X sin(θ), where θ is the power factor angle of the circuit. Multiplying current by effective impedance gives a good approximation for line-to-neutral voltage drop. Effective impedance values shown in this table are valid only at 0.85 power factor. For another circuit power factor (PF), effective impedance (Ze) can be calculated from R and XL values given in this table as follows: Ze = R × PF + XL sin[arccos(PF)].

Values derived from the 2023 National Electrical Code for exam study. Verify installations against the adopted code and local amendments.

Race your codebook — 3 lookups on this table

Q1

An electrician is running three single-conductor cables per phase (Phase A, B, C, plus neutral) in parallel inside a sheet metal auxiliary gutter for a large service. To avoid current imbalance from inductive reactance, which section specifies how the paralleled single conductors must be grouped within the gutter?

  1. A 366.22
  2. B 366.20
  3. C 366.30
  4. D 366.23
Show answer & explanation

Correct: B — 366.20

366.20 directly addresses conductors connected in parallel per 310.10(G), requiring groups with no more than one conductor per phase, neutral, or grounded conductor to prevent inductive imbalance. 366.22 governs the number of conductors permitted (fill), and 366.23 governs ampacity — neither addresses parallel-conductor grouping.

Q2

A contractor is paralleling two 500 kcmil conductors per phase in a nonmetallic auxiliary gutter feeding a large panelboard. Before pulling the conductors, which section tells them how those parallel sets must be arranged relative to each other to prevent inductive current imbalance?

  1. A 366.10
  2. B 366.12
  3. C 366.20
  4. D 366.56
Show answer & explanation

Correct: C — 366.20

366.20 is the specific rule on grouping parallel conductors (one conductor per phase/neutral per group) to prevent inductive reactance imbalance. 366.10 and 366.12 cover where auxiliary gutters may or may not be used, and 366.56 covers splices and taps within the gutter — none address parallel conductor grouping.

Q3

You're replacing a burned-out ballast in an indoor fluorescent luminaire mounted in an office ceiling. The replacement ballast has no thermal protection built in, but the electrician argues the original luminaire never had one either. Which section governs whether the replacement ballast must have integral thermal protection?

  1. A 410.130(D)
  2. B 410.130(F)(4)
  3. C 410.130(E)(1)
  4. D 410.130(E)(2)
Show answer & explanation

Correct: C — 410.130(E)(1)

410.130(E)(1) specifically requires replacement ballasts to have integral thermal protection, the same as the original ballast. 410.130(E)(2) only exempts simple reactance ballasts with straight tubular lamps, and 410.130(D) and 410.130(F)(4) address unrelated additional requirements and HID recessed remote ballasts.

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