Practice question · Fill in the blanks
Complete the description of what makes a transistor useful for computing.
A transistor computes because ______.
Word bank: it resists current more than a wire does · a small voltage on its gate switches a much larger current on or off · it stores charge indefinitely · it converts alternating current into direct current
Hints
- A logic gate needs a device whose output can be commanded by an input.
- One of the wrong options describes a diode instead.
Show the answer
A transistor computes because a small voltage on its gate switches a much larger current on or off.
Why
Control is the whole point: a small gate signal decides whether a large current flows, which is precisely a switch, and a switch gives you 1 and 0. Rectifying alternating current is what a diode does, and it cannot compute.
Practise Semiconductors and Transistors
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