Here's what I'm having trouble with, specifically:
1. The electron flow, where does Ib, Ic and Ie go??
2. How the amplification actually works? How is it amplified?
and most importantly
3. HOW THE HECK DO I READ THESE CIRCUIT BOARDS?? THEY ARE SO DAMN CONFUSING!
Vcc, all the resistors that seem to be everywhere...... bleh.
THANKS
An npn-transistor has 3 streams: 2 streams entering it, and 1 stream exiting it. The two streams entering it are called the collector arm, and the base arm. The stream exiting it is the emitter arm.
refers to the current entering through the collector arm,
refers to the current entering the transistor through the base arm and
refers to the current exiting the transistor through the emitter arm.
The analogy of the transistor to a tap is quite useful. The base current is analogous to the energy required to open a valve (approximately requires 0.30 V if I recall correctly) that allows the collector current to flow through the transistor, and ultimately come out as emitter current. The transistor is supposed to amplify the base current, using the collector current as the feed (still speaking in analogous terms) to do so.
Read the circuit boards like an energy well. Think of it as a ball that is rolling down the circuit. The circuits are always drawn with the wires closer to the top containing more voltage, then eventually dropping down to a voltage of 0 at the ground (bottom line).
refers to the input DC voltage (which is related to the collector current) and is ultimately used to amplify the small base AC voltage.