How to use electronic switches

[alpine2beach]

I'm pretty sure that one of the most common electronic switches is the transistor. That being said, I'm not very sure of how you can incorporate one into a circuit. Basically, what I'm asking is, how do I get it to switch when I want it to? How do I use a transistor?

 

[mdjensen22]

What do you know about transistors?
How do you think they function
do a google search for transistors as switch and see what you come up with. There is a lot of relevant information there.

(I've been taking notes Berkeman) :)

 

[berkeman]

(I've been taking notes Berkeman) :)

Here are a couple intro articles on transistors:

at HowStuffWorks.com http://www.howstuffworks.com/transistor.htm

at Wikipedia.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor

Also, if you'd like to learn more about electronics, take a look at the book "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill. Your high school library may have a copy (if not, ask them to order it), or your city library may have a copy. It's a pretty easy read, and you can learn lots of useful things about electronics from it.

 

[alpine2beach]

Thank you so freaking much! Wikipedia is pretty useless if you don't already know something about electronics, but that link to HowStuffWorks was definitely the most simple explanation of a transistor that I have ever read! Also, thanks for the book, I'll have to check it out. Thanks again!