I-V Characteristics

• ohmic conductor

  • the gradient of the current-voltage is the reciprocal of the resistance
  • Omic conductor should have a linear relationship between current and voltage
• semiconductor diode

  • diode allows current to flow in one direction unless the voltage in the other direction is very large
  • reverse bias is the direction in which current is not allowed to flow
  • For a current to flow in reverse Bia, a very large voltage is required
  • the voltage at which current will flow in reverse bias is called the breakdown voltage
  • Forward Bia is the direction the current is allowed to flow
  • The point at which the diode will conduct in the forward direction in called the threshold voltage
• Filament lamp

  • The current flowing through the filament produces heat
  • The higher the temperature of the filament, the higher the resistance
  • The increase in resistance limits the amount of current that is able to flow through the filament
  • An increase in the voltage supplied to the bulb does not produce the same increase in the current flowing through
  • non-ohmic conductor