1445326735900-0

Starting electronics
The type of transistor you need is shown in Photo 8.1 and is
identified as a 2N3053.
Photo 8.1
A transistor next to a UK fifty pence piece
You’ll see that the transistor has three terminals called, incidentally,
base, collector and emitter (often shortened to B, C
and E). When you use transistors in electronic circuits it is
essential that these three terminals go the right way round.
The 2N3053 transistor terminals are identified by holding
the transistor with its terminals pointing towards you from
the body and comparing the transistor’s underneath with
the diagram in Figure 8.1. The terminal closest to the tab on
the body is the emitter, then in a clockwise direction are the
base and the collector.
Other transistor varieties may have different body types so
it’s important to check with reference books or manufacturer’s
data regarding the transistor terminals before use. All 2N3053
transistors, however, are in the same body type — known as
a TO-5 body — and follow the diagram in Figure 8.1.
168