Video Transcript
Which of the following is the
correct symbol for an ammeter?
Just as units are necessary to
communicate a certain quantity in a standard way, standard electric circuit symbols
are necessary for communicating information about a circuit. There are standard symbols for
nearly any circuit component that we could think of. Some of the more basic circuit
symbols should become familiar as we learn about electric circuits. Let’s look at some of those common
symbols.
Most circuits that we encounter
will have a cell that provides energy to the circuit. Cells are represented in circuits
by this symbol. Sometimes a positive and negative
sign are added to identify the positive and negative terminals of the cell. Another component that we see in
circuits often is a lamp, or bulb. This is often used to demonstrate
how the electric energy is used to power simple objects. A lamp is represented by this
symbol.
Another example used in circuits to
demonstrate how electrical energy might be used is a simple motor. Motors are represented by this
symbol. Another component that is common in
electric circuits is a voltmeter. A voltmeter can measure the
electric potential difference between two points in a circuit. Voltmeters are represented by this
symbol.
Finally, circuits often contain an
ammeter. Ammeters measure the amount of
current at a point in a circuit. Ammeters are represented very
similarly to voltmeters in a circuit, with the only difference being the letter
inside the circle, A for ammeter.
Now that we’re familiar with
several common circuit symbols, we can pick the correct answer to the question. The correct symbol for an ammeter
is given by option (C).
