Therefore, they suppress any reference to Beaty's site.
I don't think it should be suppressed. But I don't think it's perfect either. I think that some concepts are presented in an odd manner.
I am familar with the site, and I believe it is mostly correct.
I'd probably go along with that.
About the only truly current controlled components are magnetic amplifiers and gas discharge tubes. BJTs, FETS, and vacuum tubes are all voltage controlled current and therefore transconductance devices. The physics of the device determine what controls the device.
and that.
The base current of a BJT is an indicator of the collector current, not the cause of it.
But not that.
I'd say that the base current is correlated with the collector current in a large region somewhere between cutoff and saturation.
I would say that for certain cases, the correlation is such that we can use it as if it is the cause rather than arguing if it is the cause or the effect because it is mathematically easier that way and works well enough. (note that I simply argue that it is a useful and oft-used shortcut, not a dogmatic principle)
(It's the word "indicator" that I have issues with. Mostly because in saturation it's not, but also because we can do things to affect the base current and when that changes we will likely see a change in collector current)
If I notice that the sun rises when my bedside clock reads 5:30 AM, do I conclude that my clock is controlling the sunrise?
No, but you might notice that there is some correlation, so you can use this magical device to predict when sunrise will be. As if by magic, this simple number (time) seems to be able to be used in calculations which determine the hours of daylight and night. Indeed some people carry such devices on their person at all times for this exact reason!
Indeed, some people assume time is the controlling factor when they say "I'll meet you at noon". What they are saying is that they will meet you when the sun is at the highest point in the sky, but they will tell you you're incorrect if you assume they mean a time other than 12:00 on their watches, eve though the sun may not be at the highest point at this time!
Sadly, some people use this abstract concept of time rather than the relative position of the sun with respect to their spatial location. Indeed, people begin to think that clocks rule their life, not the sun.
However, in one major difference between clocks and base current, winding our clocks forward does not cause the sun to move across the sky, whereas taking action to increase the base current may change the collector current -- thus my preference for correlation rather than indication. And also the realization that clocks actually indicate the time
If you have any questions about what Bill Beaty's site avers, give me a link, chapter, verse and quote, and I will give you my perspective on the subject.
I would be interested in whether you think his description of "uncharged charge" could be written better.
Also note that the charge within wires is ...uncharged. Every movable electron has a positive proton nearby, so even though the metal contains a vast sea of charge, there is no net charge on average. Wires contain "uncharged" charge. Better call it "cancelled charge." Yet even though the electrons are cancelled by the nearby protons, the electrons can still flow among the protons. Cancelled charge can still move around, so it's possible to have flows of charge in an uncharged metal.
I would also like your interpretation of a wire passing through a magnetic field. Do the electrons experience a force which causes them to move, which creates a potential difference, or does the movement through the field cause a potential difference which applies force to the electrons? (but this is an aside -- it may be best to stick to the original topic).
Back to that page in question, I think it suffers (and only in small parts) of sloppy writing which may be a distraction. Unfortunately, such distractions (if they're not recognised) could lead people astray in other areas. I wouldn't recommend it as a place to learn, but more as a place to challenge your understanding.
I enjoy electronics and have since I was young, now that I have my own, I think its important that they get involved as well. If it takes me 10 years, that will be fine, they will be teenagers by then, but I should think along the way they will get a darn good education!
