The Manga Guide to Electricity

A sma

water cuent

(base cuent) is

used to adjust

the valve in

thepipe...

...that controls a

large water cuent

(coector cuent)

that flows in

thepipe.

I s!

This is how

transistor

amplification

works.

Although the flow

of electrical cuent

is the oosite in a PNP

transistor, the basic

operation is the same.

A transistor can

also be used as

a contactle

switch.

That's because the

water stops if the

valve is closed.

Squeak

Slam

Transistors 181

If we coect a

load and a power

suly betwn

the coector and

emier...

...and use the base-

emier path instead

ofa switch...

...we can use the

sma base cuent

to control the large

coector-emier

cuent.

But what

gd does

that dous?

It sms like a

regular switch

would work

justfine.

Unlike a regular switch,

it has no physical

contact, so it doesn't

wear out and is le

likely to fail.

Also, since it can be

turned on and o

rapidly, control can

be fine tuned.

Oh! It reay

has some great

advantages!

Power

suly

Resistance

Switch

Load

Resistance

While the switch is o,

no coector-emier

cuent flows.

Click

Click

182 Chapter 5 How Can You Conveniently Use Electricity?

Components caed

integrated circuits

( IC

s) are also

usedinelectronic

devices such as TVs

or computers.

An IC contains an extremely

largenumber of elements

such as transistors, diodes,

resistors, and capacitors —

these complicated circuits can

perform digitallogic.

H...

We, this

completes our

discuion of

the basics of

semiconductor

devices...

...which means...

Your studies are

over! Thank you for

a your hard work!

No way!

It's you who

deserves a the

thanks. Thank you

very, very much!!

Since the ca

for picking you up

hasn't come yet,

let's go for a

lile stro!

Reay!?

That would be

awesome!!

Transistor Diode

Resistor Capacitor

Clap

clap

Transistors 183

Where should

we go...??

Hark!

The time to

depart is nigh!

Huh?

Already??

But it's...

it's t...

You don't have a

choice, right...?

Get thee posthaste

to the roof of an

altitudinous edifice.

Whi

clack

184 Chapter 5 How Can You Conveniently Use Electricity?

We, I gue this is

it. I'm glad I met you,

Hikaru Sensei.

and I’m also

glad I learned

the basics of

electricity.

I learned a lot

by teaching you,

Rereko!

Kp at it,

even back on

Electopia!!

And you

kpworking

onyour

research!

...and also

cleaning your

rm...

...and...

Re...

...Rereko...?

Ah!