Video Transcript
Which of the following is the
correct circuit symbol for a battery?
Recall that a battery is several
cells connected in series. Looking at the symbols we are
given, the one on the far right shows a single cell. This single cell is not a battery
because a battery, by definition, consists of multiple cells. But we do expect that the circuit
symbol for a battery will be similar to the circuit symbol for a single cell. Looking at the other three symbols,
the symbol second from the right shows two cells with a dotted line between
them. This dotted line represents the
possibility that there may be other cells connected between these two cells.
But either way, all of the cells
represented by this symbol are connected one after another. That is, they are connected in
series. And indeed, this is the circuit
symbol of a battery, cells connected in series. It’s worth mentioning the names of
the other two symbols we see here. To the left of the battery is a
resistor, and all the way on the left is a bulb. It’s worth knowing these symbols,
in part because if we recognize these symbols as a bulb and a resistor, we could
immediately identify them as incorrect answers.
