The Tiny Device That Changed Electronics
How can a faint electrical signal become strong enough to be useful? One answer is a transistor, a small device that can control the flow of electricity. An early version, called the point-contact transistor, helped open the door to a new world of electronics.
A small signal, a bigger effect
An electrical signal is a changing flow of electricity that can carry information. For example, a microphone turns sound into a changing electrical signal. At first, that signal may be too weak to drive a speaker. A transistor in a circuit can help amplify it, producing a stronger signal that follows the changes in the original.
Imagine a small switch controlling a powerful lamp. A gentle press on the switch controls a much larger flow of electricity through the lamp. The switch does not supply the lamp’s energy; the power source does.
A transistor is not simply a push-button switch, but the comparison helps show how a small input can control a larger flow. When a transistor amplifies a signal, it uses energy from a power source. It does not create energy or act like a battery.
Two tiny contacts
- faint:
- Weak or hard to notice.
- circuit:
- A path through which electricity can flow.
- input:
- Something put into a system to produce a response.
- contacts:
- Parts that touch another surface to allow an electrical connection.
- demonstration:
- An event that shows how something works.
- reliable:
- Able to be depended on to work.
- process:
- To work with information or data.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main idea of the passage, and what detail supports it?
- 2How does a transistor help a weak microphone signal become useful?
You Might Also Like
About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“The Tiny Device That Changed Electronics” is a explanatory article reading passage about Transistors, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (453 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.