What is a transistor? What are its applications? - Electronics

What is a transistor? What are its applications?

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It maybe a p-n-p or n-p-n junction. It consists of-

-The Base: It is thin and lightly doped

-The Emitter: It is heavily doped with majority charge carriers.

-The Collector: It is where the minority charge collectors accumulate in a p-n-p transistor.

The following are a few applications of transistors-

-It is used in Switches: The transistor does not allow current to flow till the input voltage reaches a threshold value. Till this stage, its OFF. When the input voltage exceeds this threshold, it allows current flow and hence, becomes ON.

-It is used in Amplifiers: It is used to amplify the input AC signal. It amplifies both- the positive and the negative cycle.