Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumTransistors

In a bipolar junction transistor circuit, a small input current supplied to the base terminal is used to control a significantly larger current flowing between which two terminals?

  1. A
    The gate and the source
  2. The collector and the emitterAnswer
  3. C
    The anode and the cathode
  4. D
    The base and the power supply rail

Answer

The collector and the emitter
A bipolar junction transistor functions as a current-controlled amplifier or switch. A relatively small base current (IBI_B) modulates a significantly larger current (ICI_C) flowing across the main conduction channel between the collector and the emitter.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the component type and its standard terminal leads.
A bipolar junction transistor (BJT) consists of three active terminals: the base (B), collector (C), and emitter (E).
Terminal designations distinguish BJTs from other semiconductor devices such as FETs or diodes.
2
Determine the functional relationship between the input control lead and the main output conduction channel.
A small current entering the base terminal forward-biases the base-emitter junction, permitting a much larger current (proportional by the gain factor beta) to flow between the collector and the emitter.
BJTs operate as current-controlled devices where the base-emitter circuit governs the primary collector-to-emitter current channel.

Key Concept

Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) terminal roles and current amplification principle
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Transistors

More questions from this topic