Which statement describes the function of the transistor base as a gate?

Which statement describes the function of the transistor base as a gate?

• A. Collector
• B. Emitter
• C. Anode
• D. Base

Answer: (D)

The base serves as the gate for the transistor. A small current into the base forward-biases the base–emitter junction and controls how many charge carriers are allowed to move from the emitter to the collector. This small base current regulates a much larger current from the collector to the emitter, with Ic roughly equal to β times Ib. So the base is the control input that turns the device on and modulates the flow between the other two terminals. The collector is the path that carries the amplified current, and the emitter is the source of carriers; anode is not a term used for a transistor’s operation.

The base serves as the gate for the transistor. A small current into the base forward-biases the base–emitter junction and controls how many charge carriers are allowed to move from the emitter to the collector. This small base current regulates a much larger current from the collector to the emitter, with Ic roughly equal to β times Ib. So the base is the control input that turns the device on and modulates the flow between the other two terminals.

The collector is the path that carries the amplified current, and the emitter is the source of carriers; anode is not a term used for a transistor’s operation.