×
Study.com
INSTALL
Study.com
FREE – on Google Play
Electrical Schematic Symbols
After completing this lesson, you will be able to explain why electrical schematic diagrams are important, and
recognize some of the most important symbols used in those diagrams. A short quiz will follow.
What is an Electrical Schematic Diagram?
One day you get a job working as an electrician. You're asked to build a circuit, but your boss likes
to talk super-fast. He says something like:
Connect the breaker in six parallel branches: three of them containing two outlets and six lights, two of
them four outlets and two lights, and one of them as a separate line that connects to one of the outlets in
the 4-2 branch. And make it fast!
Circuit Diagrams Can Get Very Complex
Unless you're very quick, this might not work so well. If your boss really knows what he's doing,
he'll instead give you a diagram. But not just any diagram: an electrical schematic diagram.
An electrical schematic diagram, or more simply circuit diagram, is a drawing that shows the
connections and components in an electrical circuit. It doesn't represent how they're arranged, just
how they're connected. There's nothing to show which wire goes through which wall, or how the
wires are positioned -- that would be a whole separate diagram. A circuit diagram is arranged to
Study.com
make
it
as
clear
as possible how to connect everything.
Study.com
INSTALL
×
FREE – on Google Play
Using Symbols
But reading electrical schematic diagrams isn't always easy. For one thing, they can be super
complicated in real-life circuits. But for another, you kind of need to know another language: a
language of symbols.
Every component in a circuit diagram has its own symbol to represent it. After all, we're not all
talented artists. If you have to carefully sketch a light bulb every time you put one in a circuit, the
diagram probably won't look that good. And perhaps more importantly, it will take much more
time to draw. Using simple symbols makes drawing circuit diagrams much quicker and easier.
Examples of Common Symbols
There are more possible symbols for circuit diagrams than we could possibly talk about in a single
lesson. So let's just look at some of the most important ones to know.
The Many Circuit Symbols People Use
Any straight line in a circuit diagram represents a wire. And various things can be connected to
those wires. One is a battery, which looks like this:
Study.com
×
INSTALL
Study.com
FREE – on Google Play
Every circuit needs a power source, such as a battery, or nothing will work. It provides the energy to
make the other components in the circuit work. The power source for your house is the electric
company in your city or town. A bulb is another common symbol, and looks like this:
Register to view this lesson
Are you a student or a teacher?

I am a student

Electrical Schematic Symbols Related Study Materials
Related
I am a teacher
×
Recently Updated
Study.com
Popular
INSTALL
Study.com
FREE – on Google Play
Explore Subjects
Create an account to start this course today
Try It Risk-Free