Transistor

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/transistor

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Transistor?Demonstrated the amplification and switching capabilities of semiconductor materials
2. What is the key inventors?John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, William Shockley
3. What is the primary applications?Digital logic switching and signal amplification
4. How does a transistor switch on and off?It has three parts: two that carry the main current and a third that controls it. When a small voltage is applied to the control part, the transistor lets the current flow or stops it, like a tiny on‑off button.
5. Why are transistors important?They are the heart of modern electronics, letting computers, phones, and many gadgets work fast, small, and use less power. Without them, we would still rely on big, hot vacuum tubes.

Solid-State Device: An electronic component made from semiconductor material, without the need for a vacuum like older vacuum tubes.
Semiconductor Doping: The process of intentionally adding impurities to a semiconductor to alter its electrical properties.
Moore's Law: An observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years, leading to increased computing power.