What is a transistor and how did it change the future of computers?

What is a transistor and how did it change the future of computers?

A transistor is a miniature electronic component made from a semiconductor material such as silicon. Before transistors, the only way to control the flow of current in an electronic circuit was using large, energy-hungry vacuum tubes, which limited the size and power of computers that could be built.

Why are transistors important to computer technology?

Transistors make excellent electronic switches. They can turn currents on and off billions of times per second. Digital computers use transistors as a basic mechanism for storing and moving data.

Why was the invention of the transistor significant?

The transistor went on to replace bulky vacuum tubes and mechanical relays. The invention revolutionized the world of electronics and became the basic building block upon which all modern computer technology rests.

How does a transistor work in a computer?

A tiny electric current flowing through one part of a transistor can make a much bigger current flow through another part of it. In other words, the small current switches on the larger one. This is essentially how all computer chips work.

What replaced the transistor in computers?

Integrated Circuits: The Next Generation The third generation of modern computers is known for using integrated circuits instead of individual transistors. Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce at Fairchild are both credited with having invented the integrated circuit (IC) in 1958 and 1959.

What did the transistor do?

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electrical signals and power. The transistor is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics. It is composed of semiconductor material, usually with at least three terminals for connection to an electronic circuit.

What invention replaced the transistor in computers?

How did computers work before transistors?

Vacuum tubes were originally used in the earliest digital electronic computers back in the 1930s and 1940s, before being replaced by transistors composed of semiconductors, which can can be manufactured much smaller, making today’s computers, smartphones, and tablets possible.

How did the invention of transistors change the world?

Transistors transformed the world of electronics and had a huge impact on computer design. Transistors made of semiconductor s replaced tubes in the construction of computers. By replacing bulky and unreliable vacuum tubes with transistors, computers could now perform the same functions, using less power and space.

How does transistorization affect the speed of computers?

Transistorization also made computers faster because the more compact dimensions meant that electrical signals didn’t have to travel as far. As time went on, so the number of transistors that could be fabricated on a single chip of silicon increased.

What is a transistor used for in a computer?

In a computer the transistor is usually used as a switch rather than an amplifier. Thousands and later tens of thousands of these switches were needed to make up the complicated logic circuits that allowed computers to compute.

What replaced tubes in the construction of computers?

Transistors made of semiconductor s replaced tubes in the construction of computers. By replacing bulky and unreliable vacuum tubes with transistors, computers could now perform the same functions, using less power and space. Before transistors, digital circuits were composed of vacuum tubes.