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IV characteristic graphs

IV characteristic graphs plot current against potential difference for a component, and the graph builder draws the three the specification names, an ohmic conductor, a filament lamp and a diode, on symmetric axes so the negative side is there too. It is the required practical result, accurate, and ready for the board or a worksheet.

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MBMrs Bennet
Science graph builder
Ohmic conductor (R=1.0Ω) New graph
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A hand-built replica of the real builder page, not a screenshot. Every control shown exists in the product.

Part of the Graph builder, Half life graphs, Velocity time graphs, Infrared radiation graphs and Distance time graphs pages.

Why this works in Physics

The ohmic conductor above is a straight line through the origin, and the resistance dropdown changes its gradient, one over R, so the class sees a steeper line mean a smaller resistance. Switch to the filament lamp and the line bends over as the filament heats up, and the diode sits at zero until the threshold and then turns on sharply, exactly the three shapes the paper asks pupils to sketch and explain.

The lamp is where marks go. Pupils see the curve flatten and say the resistance is falling, when the flattening means less current per volt and a rising resistance. With the ohmic line beside it you can ask what the gradient is doing on each, and the negative quadrant shows the reversal for the conductor and the lamp against the diode that lets nothing through.

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