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Transistors<br />

Figure 8.8 A breadboard layout for the circuit in Figure 8.7<br />

a collector current of about 12 mA was measured — yours<br />

may be a little different. Finally, when the base resistor is<br />

returned to zero volts (or simply when it’s disconnected!)<br />

the collector current again does not flow.<br />

So what? What use is this? Not a lot as it stands, but it becomes<br />

very important when we calculate the currents involved. We<br />

already know the collector current (about 12 mA in our case)<br />

but what about the base-to-emitter current (shortened to base<br />

current)? The best way to find this is not by measurement (the<br />

meter itself would affect the transistor’s operation!) but by<br />

calculation. We know the transistor’s base-to-emitter voltage<br />

(shortened to base voltage) and we know the supply voltage.<br />

175

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