Walter Houser Brattain

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

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

https://smallwhale.org/articles/walter-houser-brattain

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. When was Walter Houser Brattain born?February 10, 1902
2. Where was Walter Houser Brattain born?Tyndall, South Dakota, USA
3. What is Walter Houser Brattain known for?Co-invention of the first working point-contact transistor
4. Who discovered Walter Houser Brattain?December 1947
5. What is the primary field of research?Solid-state physics and surface physics
6. What is the key principle demonstrated?Control of electrical current in semiconductors via surface contacts, enabling amplification

Solid-State Physics: The study of rigid matter, particularly the electronic structure of solids and their properties.
Point-Contact Transistor: An early type of transistor where a sharp metal point makes contact with a semiconductor material.
Thermionic Emission: The release of electrons from a heated surface, a principle used in vacuum tubes.
Semiconductor: A material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator, crucial for transistors.