Schematics are very important to understand when building circuits. They are like maps that tell you which component to pick and how to arrange them together.

Schematics are the universal diagram for electronics and are made to be understood by anyone around the world, regardless of their language or nationality.

Each component is represented by their own symbol. You will encounter more symbols and several schematics as you progress through the lessons.

Looking at the schematic above, you will see three symbols.

First, the symbol on your right is the battery. You can recognise because of its two parallel lines. The longer one is (+), the shorter one is (-).

The wave symbol is always a resistor.

Finally, the symbol on the bottom (triangle with a straight line and two arrows) is an LED. This is a polarised component, meaning that it should be inserted the right way: one leg must be on the (+) side, the other leg towards the (-). In a diagram, the triangle always points towards the (-). But don't worry, we will come back to the LED later.

For now, only look at how our circuit will conduct electricity from the battery (+), then to the LED, then to the resistor, and finally back to the battery (-). Also, note that all circuits must be closed, meaning that it should come from one end of the battery and end up to the other side of the battery.