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The name electronics comes from the electron, which is very small, invisible
particle of electricity present in all materials. In terms of its many uses,
electronics can be defined as the application involving the control of
electrons in a vacuum, as in vacuum tubes, in a gas or vapour and most
important, in the solid semiconductor materials used for transistors and
integrated circuits.
All applications in electronics are based on the fundamental laws of
electricity and magnetism. The field of electronics includes computers,
television and radio, to some main divisions. Radio and television are
considered as communication electronics, although they also use digital
circuits. Although they represent remarkable advances in science and
technology, the field of electronics in general still can be considered as
practical applications of the general principles of electricity.
Dr. Lee Defrost invented the vacuum tube in1906. Since the invention of
transistor in1948 at Bell Telephone Laboratories, solid state devices have
replaced tubes for most uses in electronics, radio and television.
Solid state devices include transistor, diode and integrated circuits. The
diode is used as a rectifier and the transistor is used as an amplifier. The
solid state devices have made new applications practicable because of their
small size and economy of integrated package. One example is the rapid
growth of the personal computer.
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