Wires, junctions and meters: labelled reference, US style

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Wires, junctions and meters: labelled reference, US style, sheet 1 of 2

  1. Fig. 1

    Wire junction

    In the drawing convention used here, a dot marks a wire connection and a plain four-way crossing without a dot is not connected. Older drawings may use another convention, so check their legend.

  2. Fig. 2

    Wires crossing, not connected

    In the newer convention used here, wires that cross with no dot are not connected. Older schematics drew connected wires as a plain crossing and made unconnected wires hop over each other with a small half-circle, so check a drawing's legend.

  3. Fig. 3

    +−

    Voltmeter

    A voltmeter is drawn as a circle with a V and is connected across (in parallel with) the part it measures.

  4. Fig. 4

    +−

    Ammeter

    An ammeter is drawn as a circle with an A and is connected in line with (in series with) the current it measures.

  5. Fig. 5

    12

    Lamp

    The incandescent-lamp convention used on this sheet is a circle with a cross inside.

  6. Fig. 6

    12

    Motor

    One common motor convention is a circle containing M; this sheet uses that form.

Notes

  1. The terminal key and the sources are on sheet 2.
Name
Class
Date
Sheet
1 of 2
Drawing
Wires, junctions and meters Labelled reference
Style
US style
From
circuitsymbols.com
Licence
CC BY 4.0

Wires, junctions and meters: labelled reference, US style, sheet 2 of 2

Terminal key
Fig.TerminalsWhat the terminal is
3, 4+The + terminal marks the side a DC meter expects to be positive: its reading is positive when this terminal is at the higher potential.
3, 4−The − terminal is the meter's other side. A DC meter reads positive when the + terminal is at a higher potential than this one.
5, 61, 2This symbol has two terminals and no polarity mark. The labels 1 and 2 only tell the two ends apart.

Sources

  1. Lessons In Electric Circuits, Vol. V — §9, Circuit Schematic Symbols (pp. 130–139), Tony R. Kuphaldt, retrieved 2026-09-22
  2. Electrical Schematics, §§1.3.1–1.3.5 — nodes, crossings, references and congruent drawings, Tufts University, retrieved 2026-09-22
  3. ModEL — Components and Symbols, §§3.2–3.3 (meters in series and parallel, pp. 8–11), Tony R. Kuphaldt, retrieved 2026-09-22
  4. ModEL — Sources and Loads, Voltmeters and Ammeters, §§4.2–4.6 and §6.2, Tony R. Kuphaldt, retrieved 2026-09-22
  5. ModEL — Electrical Switches, §§3.1–3.3 (pp. 16–19), Tony R. Kuphaldt, retrieved 2026-09-22
  6. ModEL — Components and Symbols, §3.10 (fuses and circuit breakers, p. 20), Tony R. Kuphaldt, retrieved 2026-09-22
  7. ModEL — Components and Symbols, §3.11 (relay example with motor and lamp loads, p. 22), Tony R. Kuphaldt, retrieved 2026-09-23
  8. Combined Science: Synergy, June 2022 paper — motor symbol (p. 47), AQA, retrieved 2026-09-22

Notes

  1. The Fig. numbers are those on sheet 1.
Name
Class
Date
Sheet
2 of 2
Drawing
Wires, junctions and meters Labelled reference
Style
US style
From
circuitsymbols.com
Licence
CC BY 4.0