Physics/Maths

[Jeros]

"Note that if you plot a I -V graph (i did) then the reciprocal of the gradient is the resistance of the conducter"

what?

i know how to calculate the gradient but the "reciprocal"?

i need to pay more attention and spend less time at work and more at college

 

[Wonk]

it has something to do with Newtons law!

 

[tris-]

recipricoal is 1/x iirc or is it x^-1 ?

 

[Cadelin]

recipricoal is 1/x iirc or is it x^-1 ?

Those mean the same thing and are both correct.

So all that it is saying is that 1/gradient = resistance.

This can be explained simply if you think about how you take the gradient. The gradient at any point on a graph is the amount you go up divided by the amount you go along. In this case the graph is I against V so the amount you go up is "I" and the amount you go along is "V". So your gradient is I / V

Using the simple I * R = V formula you can see that I / V = 1 / R so its true but nothing particularly exciting.