How Transistors Work and Why They Sparked the Computer Revolution

Transistors are tiny electronic switches that form the fundamental building blocks of modern computing. By controlling the flow of electrical current, they can represent binary on/off states essential to digital processing. First developed in the mid-20th century, transistors replaced bulky vacuum tubes and enabled electronics to shrink dramatically in size. Their invention set off a technological revolution that made possible everything from personal computers to smartphones. Today, billions of transistors are packed onto a single microchip, continuing to drive advances in computing power.