Electrical Symbol Glossary
Searchable reference of 40+ common electrical and electronic schematic symbols used in wiring diagrams.
Reading Electrical Schematics
Electrical schematics use standardized symbols to represent components in a circuit. The symbols shown here follow common conventions used in the United States, broadly aligned with ANSI/IEEE standards. European schematics may use different symbols per IEC standards β for example, a resistor is shown as a rectangle in IEC notation rather than the zigzag line used in ANSI.
In a wiring diagram (as opposed to a schematic), symbols represent the physical appearance and location of components. In a schematic, symbols represent electrical function only, without regard to physical layout. Both types are widely used in electrical work and electronics design.