AQA · GCSE · Physics
Course version: 8463 · Version from Sept 2016
Standard circuit diagram symbols: Circuit diagrams use standard symbols.
Circuit diagrams work because every component has one agreed symbol, so any physicist can read any diagram.
Checked against the AQA 8463 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Circuit diagrams work because every component has one agreed symbol, so any physicist can read any diagram. You need the cell, a long thin line and a short thick line, and the battery, two or more cells in line; the switch, open and closed; the fixed resistor, a plain rectangle; the variable resistor, a rectangle with an arrow through it; the lamp, a circle with a cross; the fuse; the voltmeter, a circle marked V; the ammeter, a circle marked A; the diode, a triangle against a bar, and the light emitting diode with arrows leaving it; the thermistor and the light dependent resistor, each a resistor with its own added symbol. Wires are drawn as straight lines meeting at right angles, and junctions are marked with a dot.
What earns the marks
- Drawing the correct standard symbol for the component named.
- A diagram in which the symbols are joined by straight lines forming a complete circuit.
- Correct identification of a component from its symbol on a given diagram.
- Distinguishing similar symbols, such as the fixed resistor from the variable resistor.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Drawing a cell with the long and short lines the same length, so the terminals cannot be told apart.
Using a zigzag for a resistor, which is not the symbol used by this specification.
Confusing the lamp symbol with the symbol for a motor or a cell.
Leaving gaps between wires and components so the circuit drawn is not complete.
Exam tips
- Draw with a ruler and a sharp pencil; examiners must be able to tell a resistor rectangle from a battery.
- Add a dot at any junction where three or more wires meet so the connection is unambiguous.
- Learn the symbols as pairs that are easy to confuse: cell and battery, resistor and variable resistor, diode and LED.
Try the lesson
The start of the Standard circuit diagram symbols: Circuit diagrams use standard symbols. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which electrical component is represented in a standard circuit diagram by a plain rectangle?
Listen
Circuit diagrams work because every component has one agreed symbol, so any physicist can read any diagram. You need the cell, a long thin line and a short thick line, and the battery, two or more cells in line; the switch, open and closed; the fixed resistor, a plain rectangle; the variable resistor, a rectangle with an arrow through it; the lamp, a circle with a cross; the fuse; the voltmeter, a circle marked V; the ammeter, a circle marked A; the diode, a triangle against a bar, and the light emitting diode with arrows leaving it; the thermistor and the light dependent resistor, each a resistor with its own added symbol. Wires are drawn as straight lines meeting at right angles, and junctions are marked with a dot. A strong answer earns marks for these points. drawing the correct standard symbol for the component named. a diagram in which the symbols are joined by straight lines forming a complete circuit. correct identification of a component from its symbol on a given diagram. distinguishing similar symbols, such as the fixed resistor from the variable resistor. Exam tip: Draw with a ruler and a sharp pencil; examiners must be able to tell a resistor rectangle from a battery.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
standard symbols
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cells and batteries
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meters
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resistors and diodes
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See every definition
- standard symbols
- Circuit diagrams use standard symbols, so every component has one agreed symbol and any physicist can read any diagram.
- cells and batteries
- A cell is a long thin line and a short thick line, and a battery is two or more cells in line.
- meters
- A voltmeter is a circle marked V and an ammeter is a circle marked A.
- resistors and diodes
- A fixed resistor is a plain rectangle, a variable resistor is a rectangle with an arrow through it, and a diode is a triangle against a bar.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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