College Physics III – Thermodynamics, Electricity, and Magnetism
Definition
A nonohmic material is one whose resistance does not remain constant as the voltage or current changes. This means it does not follow Ohm's Law, where $V = IR$.
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Nonohmic materials exhibit a non-linear relationship between voltage and current.
Examples of nonohmic materials include diodes, transistors, and filament bulbs.
In a V-I graph for nonohmic materials, the curve is not a straight line.
The resistance of nonohmic materials can change due to factors like temperature or applied voltage.
Nonohmic behavior is often observed in semiconductor devices.
Review Questions
What distinguishes a nonohmic material from an ohmic material?
Provide an example of a device that exhibits nonohmic behavior.
How would the V-I graph of a nonohmic material differ from that of an ohmic material?
Related terms
Ohm's Law: $V = IR$, which describes the linear relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in ohmic materials.
Diode: A semiconductor device that allows current to flow in one direction only and exhibits nonohmic behavior.
Semiconductor: A material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator; its properties can be altered through doping and it often shows nonohmic behavior.