In plan drawings, wires that run on a surface (not within walls) are shown as which dashed lines?

• A. Long
• B. Short
• C. Dotted
• D. Thick

Answer: (B)

In plan drawings, line styles convey whether a feature is visible, hidden, or on a surface. Wires that run on a surface are shown with short-dashed lines because the short dashes indicate they are not concealed inside walls; they’re laid on the surface. Long dashes are typically used to represent elements that are hidden or concealed within walls or other structures, which is why they wouldn’t apply to surface-mounted wiring. Dotted lines and thick lines serve other conventions and aren’t used to represent surface-mounted wires in this context. This visual cue helps electricians and plan reviewers quickly interpret how the wiring is routed.