What is a transistor?  It is a semiconductor with three leads, with which a small voltage or current applied to one lead can control a much larger current flowing through the other two leads. A transistor can be used as either a switch or an amplifier. Furthermore, there are two main types of transistor – the bipolar and the field-effect transistor. This article will examine and refer to bipolar transistors as transistors. more (follow link and take notes)