BASIC ELECTRICAL SYMBOLS

1. Earth Electrode - is a metal plate, water pipe, or other conductor of electricity

partially buried in the earth so as to constitute and provide a reliable
conductive path to the ground.
2. Cell - is a device containing electrodes immersed in an electrolyte, used for
generating current or for electrolysis.
3. Battery - is a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy
is converted into electricity and used as a source of power.
4. Source - is a part of a field-effect transistor from which carriers flow into the
inter-electrode channel.
5. Ideal Source - An ideal source is a theoretical concept of an electric current or
voltage supply (such as a battery) that has no losses and is a perfect
voltage or current supply.
6. Resistor - is a device having resistance to the passage of an electric current.
7. Capacitor - is a device used to store an electric charge, consisting of one or more
pairs of conductors separated by an insulator.
8. Antenna - is an electrical device which converts electric power into radio waves,
and vice versa.
9. Switch Open - is a device for making and breaking the connection in an electric
circuit.
10. Switch Closed - is a device for making and breaking the connection in an electric
circuit.
11. Rotary Switch - is a switch operated by rotation.
12. Open pushbutton - is a push button that makes no electrical contact with the
circuit.
13. Closed pushbutton - is a push button that makes electrical contact with the
circuit.
14. Isolator - is a mechanical switch which isolates a part of circuit from system as
when required.
15. SPST - is a single-pole, single-throw (SPST) switch.
16. SPDT - is single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) switch.
17. DPST - is double-pole, single-throw(DPDT) switch.
18. DPDT - is a double-pole, double-throw (DPDT) switch.
19. Wire - is used to connect the components in a circuit.
20. Test Point - is a location within an electronic circuit that is used to either monitor
the state of the circuitry or to inject test signals.
21. Outward Flow - means flowing outwardly, so inward flow means flowing
inwardly.
22. Electric Motor - is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into
mechanical energy.
23. Potentiometer - is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that
forms an adjustable voltage divider.
24. Attenuator - a device consisting of an arrangement of resistors that reduces the
strength of a radio or audio signal.
25. Three Phase Electric Motor - is a common method of alternating current electric
power generation, transmission, and distribution.
26. Piezoelectric crystal - is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid
materials
27. Relay - is an electrically operated switch.
28. Electromagnet - is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by
an electric current.
29. Commutator - a device for reversing the direction of flow of electric current.
30. Push button - a button that is pushed to operate an electrical device.
31. Vacuum tube - an electron tube containing a near-vacuum that allows the free
passage of electric current.
32. Anode - the positively charged electrode by which the electrons leave a device.
33. Cathode - the negatively charged electrode by which electrons enter an electrical
device.
34. NPN Transistor - A transistor used to control a high-power LED
35. PNP Transistor – A transistor that use a small base current
36. Phototransistor - is a device that is able to sense light levels and alter the current
flowing between emitter and collector according to the level of light it
receives.
37. Schottky Transistor - is a combination of a transistor and a Schottky diode that
prevents the transistor from saturating by diverting the excessive input
current.
38. Rheostat - an electrical instrument used to control a current by varying the
resistance.
39. Photoresistor - is a light-controlled variable resistor.
40. Thermistor - an electrical resistor whose resistance is greatly reduced by heating,
used for measurement and control.
41. Light bulb - is an electric light with a wire filament heated to such a high
temperature that it glows
42. Oscillatory lamp - is an electronic circuit that produces a periodic, oscillating
electronic signal, often a sine wave or a square wave
43. Output Lamp - used for lighting
44. Diode - a semiconductor device with two terminals, typically allowing the flow of
current in one direction only.
45. Zener diode - a form of semiconductor diode in which at a critical reverse voltage
a large reverse current can flow.
46. Schottky diode - is a semiconductor diode formed by the junction of a
semiconductor with a metal.
47. Tunnel Diode - a two-terminal semiconductor diode using tunneling electrons to
perform high-speed switching operations.
48. Fuse - is an electrical safety device that operates to provide overcurrent
protection of an electrical circuit.
49. Circuit Breaker - an automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an
electric circuit as a safety measure.
50. Delay - is energized by means of a pulse into the control circuit in an electrically
controlled time-delay switch
51. Inductor/Coil - a component in an electric or electronic circuit that possesses
inductance.
52. Variable Inductor - movable element which may be adjusted to different
positions or adjusted to vary its physical dimensions to change the
effective inductance from one value to another.
53. Buzzer - audio signaling device
54. Speaker – used as a sound amplifier
55. Variable capacitor - is a capacitor whose capacitance may be intentionally and
repeatedly changed mechanically or electronically
56. Electrolytic Capacitor - is a polarized capacitor whose anode or positive plate is
made of a metal that forms an insulating oxide layer through anodization.
57. Transformer - is a static electrical device that transfers electrical energy between
two or more circuits through electromagnetic induction.
58. Oscillator - a device for generating oscillating electric currents or voltages by
nonmechanical means.
59. Amplifier - is an electronic device that can increase the power of a signal
60. Timer IC-555 - is an integrated circuit (chip) used in a variety of timer, pulse
generation, and oscillator applications
61. Thyristor SCR - is a four-layer (P-N-P-N) semiconductor device that contains
three PN junctions in series and is represented by the symbol as shown.
62. Diac - is a full-wave or bi-directional semiconductor switch that can be turned on
in both forward and reverse polarities.
63. Power Converter – is an electrical or electro-mechanical device for converting
electrical energy.
64. Inverter - is an electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to
alternating current (AC)
65. Bridge Rectifier - uses four individual rectifying diodes connected in a closed loop
“bridge” configuration to produce the desired output.
66. Wrench - turns nuts, bolts, pipes, etc.
67. Screwdriver - used for the turning the screws
68. Drill - designed to drill holes and drive screws
 69. Cutter/ Utility Knife - designed to cut wood, cardboard, and other materials.
70. Drill bits – is a cutting tool which is used to create holes.

References:
 https://www.edrawsoft.com/basic-electrical-symbols.php
 https://www.electrical-symbols.com/electric-electronic-symbols/electrical-
symbols.htm
 Merriam Webster Dictionary
 https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/power/thyristor.html
 https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/diode/diode_6.html
 https://interestingengineering.com/10-tools-every-engineer-fix-things