The Required Practical — Circuit Setup
Part of I-V Characteristics — GCSE Physics
This deep dive covers The Required Practical — Circuit Setup 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 2 of 12 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 12
Practice
13 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
⚡ The Required Practical — Circuit Setup
Figure 1: Circuit for investigating I-V characteristics — ammeter in series, voltmeter in parallel
Equipment
- Power supply (variable or with variable resistor)
- Ammeter (in series with the component)
- Voltmeter (in parallel across the component)
- Variable resistor (rheostat) — to change current
- Test component (resistor, filament lamp, or diode)
Method
- Set up the circuit with the ammeter in series and voltmeter in parallel
- Adjust the variable resistor to change the current through the circuit
- Record pairs of current (A) and voltage (V) readings
- Reverse the power supply connections and repeat to get negative values
- Plot a graph with voltage (V) on the x-axis and current (I) on the y-axis
Safety note: Filament lamps get hot — allow to cool between readings. Do not exceed the rated voltage of components.