What is a 6-lead AC motor?

• A. A motor with six separate windings that cannot be reconfigured.
• B. Can be either: - Single-voltage motor with leads for wye-delta starting, or - Dual-voltage motor with two coils per phase that can be series/parallel connected
• C. A 12-lead motor with only two leads active.
• D. A motor that cannot be used for starting methods.

Answer: (B)

A six-lead AC motor is designed to be reconfigurable for different voltage needs or starting methods. In a single-voltage version, each of the three windings has two ends, giving six leads that can be wired to form a wye (star) or delta connection, enabling proper operation at the rated voltage or starting with a reduced voltage. In a dual-voltage version, there are two coils per phase; these coils can be connected in series for high voltage or in parallel for low voltage, still using six leads. This explains why a six-lead motor can be described as either a single-voltage motor with wye-delta starting connections or a dual-voltage motor with two coils per phase that can be wired in series or parallel. The other descriptions don’t fit because they imply fixed windings, an unrelated 12-lead setup, or no starting capability.