[ELI5] How do transistors work? What makes 3 chucks of silicon put together able to turn on and off?

Question

[ELI5] How do transistors work? What makes 3 chucks of silicon put together able to turn on and off?

In: 18

Answer 1

Electrons repel each other. The three chunks are arranged in a special configuration with a thin layer of the middle chunk between the other two. When the voltage is high on the middle chunk, it repels the electrons that want to go between the outside chunks. When the middle chunk is grounded, current flows from the first chunk into it, and then on into the third chunk.