A current–voltage characteristic or I–V curve (current–voltage curve) is a relationship, typically represented as a chart or graph, between the electric current through a circuit, device, or material, and the corresponding voltage, or potential difference across it. In electronics In electronics, the relationship between the direct current (DC) through an electronic device and the DC voltage across its terminals is called a current–voltage characteristic of the device. Electronic engineers use these charts to determine basic parameters of a device and to model its behavior in an electrical circuit. These characteristics are also known as I–V curves, referring to the standard symbols for current and voltage. In electronic components with more than two terminals, such as vacuum tubes and transistors, the current-voltage relationship at one pair of terminals may depend on the current or voltage on a third terminal. This is usually displayed on a more complex current–voltage graph with multiple curves, each one representing the current-voltage relationship at a different value of current or voltage on the third terminal. For example the diagram at right shows a family of I–V curves for a MOSFET as a function of drain voltage with overvoltage (VGS − Vth) as a parameter. The simplest I–V curve is that of a resistor, which according to Ohm's law exhibits a linear relationship between the applied voltage and the resulting electric current; the current is proportional to the voltage, so the I–V curve is a straight line through the origin with positive slope. The reciprocal of the slope is equal to the resistance. The I–V curve of an electrical component can be measured with an instrument called a curve tracer. The transconductance and Early voltage of a transistor are examples of parameters traditionally measured from the device's I–V curve. Types of I–V curves The shape of an electrical component's characteristic curve reveals much about its operating properties. I–V curves of different devices can be grouped into categories: Active vs passive: Devices which have I–V curves which are limited to the first and third quadrants of the I–V plane, passing through the origin, are passive components (loads), that consume electric power from the circuit. Examples are resistors and electric motors. Conventional current always flows through these devices in the direction of the electric field, from the positive voltage terminal to the negative, so the charges lose potential energy in the device, which is converted to heat or some