Three characteristic curves can be drawn for a reciprocating pump as follows:

1. Discharge v/s Head: It can be seen that the discharge is unaffected by the change in head but at higher heads the rate of discharge decreases.

2. Discharge v/s Speed: Speed and discharge have an almost linear relation. At higher speeds of pump the rate of increase of discharge slows down.

3. Overall efficiency v/s Head: Efficiency and head have an almost linear relation but slightly lesser compared to discharge v/s speed.