Negative resistance

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/negative-resistance

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Negative resistance?Tunnel Diode (Esaki, 1957), Gunn Diode (Gunn, 1963)
2. What is the device classification?Nonlinear, two-terminal electronic components exhibiting negative differential resistance (NDR)
3. What is the primary technological impact?Revolutionized microwave electronics, enabling high-frequency oscillators and amplifiers
4. Why do tunnel diodes have negative resistance?Because of quantum tunneling, electrons jump through a barrier, so the current drops when the voltage rises.
5. How can negative resistance help make radios louder?It can amplify signals by adding power to a weak signal, making radio waves stronger and clearer.

Ohmic Resistance: Resistance where current is directly proportional to voltage, following Ohm's Law.
Nonlinear Component: An electronic device whose current-voltage relationship is not a straight line.
Quantum Tunneling: A quantum mechanical phenomenon where particles pass through a potential barrier.
Electron Transfer: A process in semiconductors where electrons move to higher energy states, altering conductivity.