Uses of Transistor: Properties, Advantages, and Its Application in Daily Life

Transistors are basically used in our day-to-day lives in various forms such as amplifiers and switching apparatus. They, as amplifiers, are being used in various oscillators, modulators, detectors, and nearly in any circuit in order to perform a function.

• In a digital circuit, transistors have an application as switches.
• A transistor is a device that regulates the current flow and is usually used in electric circuits.
• Here, we will learn more about the uses and applications of transistors in the practical world and discuss some important questions.

Key Terms: Transistor, Vacuum Tubes, Electron Tubes, Junction Transistor, NPN Transistor, PNP Transistor, Transistor as a Switch and Amplifier

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Uses of a Transistor

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Transistors are most commonly used as electronic switches in digital circuits or as an amplifier. Below mentioned are both the uses of transistors.

Transistors as Switches

Transistors act as a switch by creating a binary on/off effect of a switch. As a result, voltage is required to flip it instead of an actuator.

• The application is used to control the flow of power in another portion of the circuit.
• In simpler terms, a small current that is flowing through one part of the transistor allows for a bigger current to flow through the other part of the transistor.
• The perfect example of a transistor as a switch is a memory chip.

Transistors as Amplifier

Another use of a transistor is as an amplifier.

• When a transistor works as an amplifier it takes tiny electric currents and produces a large current output on the other end.
• This kind of transistor is usually found in products like radios, hearing aids, or anything from the UV range.

The video below explains this:

Transistor Detailed Video Explanation:

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What is a Transistor?

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A transistor is a semiconductor used as an insulation and conductor of voltage or electric current. In simple language, it regulates the flow of electric signals. It is used to switch or amplify the electrical signals.

• It is made up of semiconductor materials.
• Most transistors are constructed from pure silicon or germanium, but some other semiconductor materials are sometimes used.
• A field-effect transistor has only one kind of charge carrier.
• Bipolar junction transistor (BJT) devices have two kinds of charge carriers.
• Transistors are generally smaller and require less power to operate as compared to vacuum tubes.

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Properties of a Transistor

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The properties of a transistor are:

• There are two types of transistors: NPN (negative-positive-negative) and PNP (positive-negative-positive). It has the ability to control the current flowing through the circuit.
• NPN (negative-positive-negative) transistors are the majority used transistors.
• Transistors also work as a switch and an amplifier. They can work on low-voltage supply and provide greater safety. Further, it provides high efficiency.
• Transistors perform the function of a vacuum triode and it uses semiconductor junctions in place of heating electrodes.
• Transistors can change the intensity of current via one channel and control the flow of current through the other channel. This is the reason why it is called the current controlling device.

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Different Parts of Transistors

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A transistor is a fusion of three terminals which are made up of semiconducting materials that allow the current to flow. The three terminals are:

• Base: It activates the transistor. The base is thin and lightly doped. It is present in the center of the transistor.
• Emitter: It is the negative terminal of the transistor. Emitter is of moderate size and heavily doped.
• Collector: The collector is the positive terminal of the transistor. It is present on the right side of a transistor and is moderately doped. The size of the collector is larger than the emitter.

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Characteristics of a Transistor

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The characteristics of a transistor are:

• Input characteristics: This shows the change in input current with varying output current when the output voltage is constant.
• Output Characteristics: This graph shows a plot of changing output current with respect to a change in output voltage when the input current is constant.

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Advantages of Using a Transistor

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The following are the advantages of transistors:

• The first advantage is it is small in size and also very cost-efficient.
• It requires low voltage to function.
• The life expectancy is high and no power is needed to operate.
• A single integrated circuit can be developed using the transistor.

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Disadvantages of Using a Transistor

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The following are the disadvantages of transistors:

• Because of changing electrical and temperature conditions, transistors are bound to get damaged easily.
• Transistors are affected by radiation.
• The electron mobility of the transistor is low.

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Things to Remember

• There are two types of transistors: NPN (negative-positive-negative) and PNP (positive-negative-positive).
• Every transistor has three parts that are base, emitter, and collector.
• A transistor can be used as a switch and as an amplifier. A memory chip is an example of a transistor as a switch and a radio is an example of a transistor as an amplifier.

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