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← 4.3 Transistor

The transistor

Electrical Technology · Grade 10 · about 40 minutes

How a transistor uses a small base current to control a much larger current, its structure (NPN/PNP) and three terminals, its use as a switch and as an amplifier, how to select and test one, and why the transistor is the most important component in electronics.

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  • 6 sections of explanation, worked examples and diagrams
  • 1 practice task with hints and worked answers
  • A quiz that marks itself as you go
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Other lessons in this sub-strand

  1. The transistor
  2. The bipolar junction transistor
  3. NPN and PNP structure
  4. Base, collector and emitter
  5. Transistor circuit symbols
  6. Biasing the two junctions
  7. Current gain (beta)
  8. Cut-off, active and saturation
  9. The transistor as a switch
  10. The transistor as an amplifier
  11. Voltage-current characteristics
  12. Selecting a transistor
  13. Testing a transistor
  14. Building a transistor switch
  15. Building a simple amplifier
  16. Why transistors matter