A connecting cable should add approximately ______ times its length.

• A. 3
• B. 2 1/2
• C. 2
• D. 1 1/2

Answer: (B)

When planning a connecting cable, you need slack to accommodate routing, turns, and operator movement so the cable won’t pull on connectors. The guideline used here is to make the total cable length about two and a half times the straight-line distance between the ends. This extra length lets the line bend around obstacles and absorb movement without tension. For example, if the run is 4 feet, you’d aim for roughly 10 feet of cable. This 2.5x amount provides a practical balance between enough slack and keep­ing things reasonably tidy; other multipliers would under- or over-estimate the needed slack.