What does a broken arrow indicate in welding symbols?

• A. Bevel groove weld or J groove weld; the broken arrow points to the part to be shaped
• B. A fillet weld
• C. A groove weld with no bevel
• D. A spot weld

Answer: (A)

The broken arrow shows which edge of the joint must be prepared for a groove weld. It points to the part that needs to be shaped (beveled) so the groove can be formed, such as a bevel groove or J groove. This is why you see it used with groove welds—the symbol communicates where to bevel, directing how the pieces should be cut or finished before welding. Fillet welds don’t involve beveling edges, and spot welds use a different notation, so the broken arrow isn’t used for those.