Transistor

Hello. I am a Transistor. I am so, so tiny. I am smaller than a candy sprinkle on a cookie. Before I was born, things like radios were very big. They were like giant metal boxes that got very warm. They were big and heavy. It was hard for people to carry them around. They needed a little helper like me to make things smaller and better. I was very excited to help.

My birthday was on a chilly day, December 16th, 1947. Three very smart friends made me. Their names were John, Walter, and William. They worked together at a special place called Bell Labs. They put tiny pieces together to create me. Do you want to know my special job. I am like a super-fast light switch for electricity. I can blink on and off, on and off, faster than you can blink your eyes. This blinking helps machines think and work. It was a very important job, and I was happy to do it.

Because I am so little, lots of my transistor friends can fit inside amazing things. We all work together to make magic happen. We are inside the phone your family uses. We are inside the TV you watch cartoons on. We are even inside your toys that light up and make fun sounds. We love helping make your world full of fun and wonderful things. It makes me feel so proud to be such a tiny helper.