Electrical Boxes are NOT Round

[letterman]

Everyone familiar with wiring knows what an electrical box is. Most of them are square or rectangular shaped metal or plastic boxes used for outlets and other devices. But what about the round ones, mostly used for light fixtures? Those are NOT "Boxes". The term "BOX" means a square or rectangular shaped enclosure. A round object is NOT A BOX. Boxes are NOT ROUND !!!!

Why do electricians refer to those round ones as boxes, when they are not a box and are not box shaped? I've heard the term used as both "round box" and "octogon box". Yet they are not boxes........ This is false and misleading terminology.

LM

[Colbyt]

-noun 1. a container, case, or receptacle, usually rectangular, of wood, metal, cardboard, etc., and often with a lid or removable cover.

Usually--- not always

[RBM]

The companies that manufacture them, define them as boxes. The 3" and 4" round boxes were originally round, but because connectors and locknuts didn't make good contact in a round box, the NEC outlawed round boxes, and they became octagonal. Many people still use the original term "round box"

[The Daring Dufas]

I suppose I was seeing things at the electrical supply house. Perhaps I should get my eyes checked. I wonder, maple syrup?......Naaa.

TDD

[Red Green]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Shallow pan metal is round. Plastic ceiling light boxes are round except for the stud flat.

Who cares if it's not round? It's the terminology and everyone knows what each other is talking about.

If you take a pencil and run a mark along a rule on something, then you draw a [what?] on it?

Most might answer a line but that's incorrect according to some geometry teacher I had long ago. It's a line segment. A straight line goes on forever in opposite directions.

Everyone calls it a line. Once again, who cares? If I run into my dead geo teacher, I'll toss in the segment part.

[metspitzer]

Yeah, well what do you expect from a bunch of construction workers? :)

[DT]

That's the first thing I thought of, too. How about a heart-shaped candy box?

[clare]

Or a cheese box. Or an oldfashioned oatmeal box.

[Bill]

For the same reason we "dial" a phone number by pressing buttons!

[dadiOH]

That depends on what geometry...Euclidean, yes; others, no. In some geometries there is no such thing as a straight line...all lines are curves.

[Red Green]

"dadiOH" wrote in news:nTIFl.29950$ [e-mail]:

I guess that's true. Digging back through ancient memories... a straight line has a fixed slope. Equation for a straight line is y=mx+b where m is the slope. The first derivative of an equation is the slope of the curve at a given point. If you call the line a curve then the implied exponent of x is 1. First derivative is 1*m. Since m is a number, the first derivative is the same at all points along "the curve".

Why can I remember this crap from decades ago but have no f'n idea where my keys are or what I actually sat at this computer for in the first place?

[dadiOH]

Be glad you can. I used to solve quadratic equations in my head; now I wouldn't even recognize one if I saw it.

On the positive side, I still vividly remember all the young ladies from

50-60 years ago :)

[norminn]

It is a syndrome that comes on at the point in life where one has gained wisdom, learned the secrets of the universe, and just doesn't consider trivia like "where are my keys?". :o)

Why is it I ALWAYS know where my husband (x2)left his keys, but I cannot find my own keys when I KNOW they're in my damn purse?