Electronics
From Encyclopædia
Electronics is a branch of physical
science that deals with the behavior of
electronS and other carriers of electric CHARGE as they flow in
vacuum, in gases, and in
semiconductors. A flow of electric charge is called an electric current, and a closed path that the electric charges can follow is called an electric CIRCUIT. Modern electronics began in the early 20th century with the invention of
electron TUBES that could store and amplify electrical charges and signals respectively. Since then the
technology of
semiconductorS has replaced, in most
cases, that of
electron tubes, and electronic circuits have been made smaller, more complex, and more efficient. The diversity of the applications of electronics can be seen in the following devices: COMPUTER, MICROWAVE OVEN,
radar, RADIO, SOUND RECORDING AND
reproduction equipment;
video, and
X-ray tube. The field of
electrical and electronic engineering is related to electronics.
bibliography:
bishop, Owen, Beginner's Guide to Electronics, 4th ed., (1983); Cox, Jim, and Everett, Roger, Electronic Principles (1987); Goldberg, Joel, Electronics Fundamentals (1988); Kaiser, W. A., ed., From Electronics to
microelectronics (1980); Waters, Earl J., ABC's of Electronics, 4th ed. (1987).
