This memory aid covers Memory Aids within I-V Characteristics for GCSE Physics. Revise I-V Characteristics in Extra Topics for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 9 of 12 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
Topic position
Section 9 of 12
Practice
13 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
🧠 Memory Aids
The Shape-Story for Each Component
- Resistor = Straight (behaves predictably, like a well-behaved student — straight line)
- Filament lamp = S-curve (gets lazy as it heats up — curve flattens off)
- Diode = Hockey stick (flat then suddenly kicks up at 0.6 V)
Ammeter vs Voltmeter Placement
Remember: Ammeter is in Aeries (series) with an A — wait, try this: Voltmeter is in Varallel (parallel). Or better: the voltmeter "wraps around" the component like a hug (parallel), while the ammeter is "in the queue" (series).
Reading Resistance from I-V Graph
R = V/I — "V over I, not the slope, that's the lie!" The gradient shows 1/R, but R = V/I. Always read off a point, not the slope.
Quick Check: At a certain point on a filament lamp's I-V graph, the voltage is 6 V and the current is 0.2 A. Calculate the resistance of the lamp at this point.
R = V/I = 6/0.2 = 30 Ω. Note: this is calculated from the coordinates of the point (V/I), NOT from the gradient of the graph.