In schematic symbols, what does a normally closed relay contact look like and when is it closed?

In schematic symbols, what does a normally closed relay contact look like and when is it closed?

• A. It is drawn as a contact with a diagonal line touching the contact; it remains closed when the coil is de-energized and opens when energized.
• B. It is drawn as two parallel lines with no diagonal.
• C. It is drawn as a coil symbol only.
• D. It is drawn as a contact with a diagonal line separated from the contact; it opens when de-energized.

Answer: (A)

A normally closed relay contact is pictured as a contact with a diagonal line that touches the contact, signaling a conducting path when the coil is de-energized. In this resting state the circuit is closed, and when the coil is energized, magnetic action moves the contact to break the path, opening the circuit. This behavior—closed at rest, opens when energized—is what defines a normally closed contact. In contrast, normally open contacts are drawn without that touching diagonal, meaning they’re open when the coil is de-energized and close when the coil is energized. A coil symbol alone isn’t a contact, and a diagonal line separated from the contact indicates a different symbol (typically a normally open configuration), not a normally closed one.

A normally closed relay contact is pictured as a contact with a diagonal line that touches the contact, signaling a conducting path when the coil is de-energized. In this resting state the circuit is closed, and when the coil is energized, magnetic action moves the contact to break the path, opening the circuit. This behavior—closed at rest, opens when energized—is what defines a normally closed contact. In contrast, normally open contacts are drawn without that touching diagonal, meaning they’re open when the coil is de-energized and close when the coil is energized. A coil symbol alone isn’t a contact, and a diagonal line separated from the contact indicates a different symbol (typically a normally open configuration), not a normally closed one.