Transistors

/trænˈzɪstərz/ noun

Definition

Tiny electronic devices that can switch or amplify electrical signals, and they're the building blocks inside all modern computers, phones, and electronics.

Etymology

Invented in 1947, the word 'transistor' comes from 'transfer' and 'resistor,' because it transfers and resists electrical current. The term was coined by the device's inventors at Bell Labs to describe its function of transferring resistance.

Kelly Says

A single modern smartphone chip contains more transistors than there are stars in the Milky Galaxy—billions upon billions of them, each one smaller than a virus, all working together to run your apps.

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