Ohmic and non-ohmic behaviour
What Ohmic and non-ohmic behaviour means in Physics GCSE, as defined for OCR.
Definitions of Ohmic and non-ohmic behaviour
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Ohmic and non-ohmic behaviour in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
A fixed resistor keeps the same R whatever current flows, but a filament lamp or thermistor has a resistance that changes as current changes.
A straight line through the origin shows constant resistance, while a curve shows resistance that changes as current rises.
Topics that use Ohmic and non-ohmic behaviour
- Simple circuits (OCR GCSE)
Related terms
- Cell polarity conventions
- constant resistance
- Current
- diode
- E = P t
- Energy transferred
- Equivalent resistance in series
- Explaining mechanisms
Using Ohmic and non-ohmic behaviour in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
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