I am wondering which number I should use for a voltage drop for AWG 16 (round trip) per meter per ampere ?

I need to take bit more practical approximation here in calculation. We will have 5 A current running in 5 meter long wires (1 x power and 1 x ground).

 

I am wondering which number I should use for a voltage drop for AWG 16 (round trip) per meter per ampere ?

I need to take bit more practical approximation here in calculation. We will have 5 A current running in 5 meter long wires (1 x power and 1 x ground).

There are plenty of charts of resistance per meter by wire gauge.

Get the Ohms/meter for 16AWG from the chart.

Multiply by 10 to get the resistance of 10m.

Multiply that by 5 to get the voltage drop at 5A.

 

16AWG pure copper is 13.2 ohms/km, or 13.2mOhms/m.

Is this DC or AC ?

But most wire isn't pure copper as that would be too soft to be practical. Also could be copper-coated aluminium. which has a higher DC resistance.

 

No AC only DC power supply cables.

Resistance 13.2 mOhms/meter means that for 5 meter round trip I need to multiply by 2 x 5 = 10 and for 5 A I need to multiply by 5.

Drop = 13.2 /1000 * 10 * 5 = 0.66V

 

Is this DC or AC ?

What difference does that make regarding the OP's question?

 

What difference does that make regarding the OP's question?

Not much over 5m, but I recall somewhere there is a factor for one or the other over a certain distance.

Again, not relevant for 5m, is that cables in conduit get warm and this increases resistance, so there is a derating for that.