Journal: Transistors
Due at 10:30pm the night before Monday, August 31, 2015

Please send your responses to curtsinger@cs.grinnell.edu with the subject “[CSC 211.01] Journal: Transistors”.

Keep your answers brief; a few sentences should be enough to show you are thinking critically about the question.

1. How confident are you in your understanding of transistors?

Choose one of the following levels of understanding, or create your own if these don’t fit your situation:

• Very Confident: I understand how transistors work, and could build a circuit with transistors today.
• Confident: I understand how transistors work and how they are used, but I probably could not build a working circuit with transistors yet.
• Moderate: I have a basic understanding of what transistors do OR how they work, but not both.
• Low: I do not feel comfortable with transistors.
• Panic: That reading was terrible. I am considering dropping this course.

Don’t worry; this is not a circuits class. If you are moderately comfortable with the idea of what a transistor does, you are on track for this class. We’ll spend almost a full class period following up on this reading, so don’t panic.

2. Why are transistors used for digital logic?

As you saw in the reading, transistors can be used for “linear flow control.” Why do you think we use transistors for digital logic in an on/off state rather than working with the full range of settings (half, three quarters, etc).

3. What is the difference between circuits and programs?

List at least two differences between circuits and programs. If you can’t think of any, these questions may help:

• What is the process you follow to write a program?
• How would you describe the way a program executes?