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GCSE Design and Technology · key term
A semiconductor component that can act as an electronic switch or amplifier. In a bipolar transistor, a small base current controls a larger collector current.
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Specification 1.6.2 · Paper 1
Revise: Control Devices and ComponentsA transistor can let a small electrical signal control a larger current. Resistors limit current so that other components operate safely. These components often work together rather than being alternatives to one another.
Component 1
A semiconductor component in which a small input controls a larger current; it can act as a switch, amplifier or output driver.
Link each component to its job: a switch opens or closes a path, a transistor allows a small signal to control a larger current, and a resistor limits current.
A transistor does not supply the energy for an output device. The power supply provides it.
A transistor driver controls current supplied by the power supply. It does not create energy or make the sensor supply the load current.
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A transistor can switch or amplify a signal, a timer can determine how long an output operates, and a comparator can decide whether a sensor voltage has crossed a chosen level. These functions can work together rather than being alternatives.
