The standard V - I characteristic curve of a solar cell is plotted with voltage ( V ) on the x-axis and current ( I ) on the y-axis. The curve intersects the V -axis at a point P and the I -axis at a point Q . What physical quantities do the points P and Q represent respectively?

Step-by-step solution

The V - I characteristic curve of a solar cell is plotted in the fourth quadrant. The point P on the V -axis (x-axis) corresponds to the condition where the current I = 0 . This represents the maximum voltage the solar cell can provide when no load is connected, which is known as the open-circuit voltage ( V_ oc ). The point Q on the I -axis (y-axis) corresponds to the condition where the voltage V = 0 . This represents the maximum current that can be drawn when the terminals are shorted, known as the short-circuit