7 Circuit symbols and circuit diagrams

Engineers draw circuits with standard symbols: cell, battery, switch (open and closed), light bulb (a circle with a cross), fixed resistor (a rectangle or zigzag), variable resistor (rectangle with an arrow, or zigzag with arrow), ammeter (circle with A) and voltmeter (circle with V).

To draw a circuit diagram from a real circuit:

1. choose the correct symbol for each component;
2. connect them in the same way as the real circuit (series with series, parallel with parallel, meters in the right places);
3. draw straight lines for wires, with neat corners.