What is the difference between GMAW and SMAW electrodes?

• A. With GMAW the electrode is continuous solid wire with no flux
• B. With SMAW the electrode is continuous solid wire with no flux
• C. GMAW uses flux-coated wire
• D. SMAW uses shielding gas

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how shielding and the electrode differ between GMAW and SMAW. In GMAW, you feed a continuous solid wire through the welding gun, and the wire is bare—there’s no flux coating on it. Shielding comes from an external gas source (like argon, CO2, or a mix), which protects the weld as you weld. That combination—continuous bare wire plus shielding gas—is the hallmark of GMAW.

That’s why the statement about a continuous solid wire with no flux on the electrode best describes GMAW. The other points don’t fit: SMAW uses a coated stick electrode, not a continuous wire; the coating on SMAW electrodes provides shielding without a separate shielding gas; and a flux-coated or flux-cored wire is associated with FCAW or SMAW variants, not standard GMAW.