How Does a Microchip Work?

Video Transcript

"Microchip. A microchip is basically a collection of anywhere from a few hundred to tens of billions of transistors in a very small package. In in order to discuss what a microchip can do we need go into what a transistor does. There are two basic functions for transistors; one of those functions is as an amplifier, and the most common uses of this technology are microphones, cell phones, and of course guitar amps and that kind of equipment. The second function of transistors is as a switch. What this does is each transistor has two positions, on or off. On and off are translated as zero and one. Zero and one of course are the two numbers in the binary number system which is the basis for all modern computing. Having transistors that will allow zero or one - if you have a handful of them that will let you calculate some basic math to a few decimal places. Having a few billion of them, well basically you are watching the result of having a few billion transistors and what they can do."