Controlling Collector Current With A Transistor

Controlling Collector Current with a Transistor

A transistor is an electronic device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power. It is composed of three main terminals: the base, the collector and the emitter. In a transistor, the collector current is controlled by the current flowing through the base terminal.

What Is Collector Current?

Collector current is the current that passes through the collector terminal of a transistor. It is also known as collector-emitter current, or Ic. This current is controlled by the amount of current flowing through the base terminal and is usually larger than the amount of current flowing through the base terminal.

How Does a Transistor Control Collector Current?

The collector current of a transistor is controlled by the current flowing through the base terminal. This is because the base terminal acts as a control gate, allowing or blocking the flow of electrons from the collector to the emitter. When a small current is applied to the base terminal, it creates a voltage difference between the base and the collector, allowing electrons to flow from the collector to the emitter. This creates a larger collector current.

On the other hand, if the base current is too large, the voltage difference between the base and the collector will be reduced to such an extent that the electrons can no longer flow from the collector to the emitter. This reduces the collector current to zero.

Types of Transistors

There are two main types of transistors: bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field-effect transistors (FETs). BJTs have three terminals, while FETs have four. Both types of transistors can be used to control the collector current, but the way they do it is different.

In a BJT, the current flowing through the base terminal is controlled by the voltage applied to the base terminal. This voltage controls the amount of current that can flow from the collector to the emitter, thus controlling the collector current. On the other hand, in a FET, the current flowing through the base terminal is controlled by the voltage applied to the gate terminal. This voltage controls the amount of current that can flow from the source to the drain, thus controlling the collector current.

Conclusion

In a transistor, the collector current is controlled by the current flowing through the base terminal. BJTs and FETs both use this principle to control the collector current, but the way they do it is slightly different. In a BJT, the collector current is controlled by the voltage applied to the base terminal, while in a FET, the collector current is controlled by the voltage applied to the gate terminal.

To sum up, in a transistor collector current is controlled by the current flowing through the base terminal.

Dated : 04-Feb-2023