What are the two types of BJT transistor? Draw the symbol for each.

The two types of BJT transistors are PNP and NPN. Which describes the arrangement of the
semiconductor materials in which it is made from.

What are the three terminals for BJTs? What are the different methods of determining each terminal?
The NPN transistor is designed to pass electrons from the emitter to the collector. The emitter emits
electrons into the base, which controls the number of electrons the emitter emits. Most of the electrons
emitted are "collected" by the collector, which sends them along to the next part of the circuit.

A PNP works in a same but opposite fashion. The base still controls current flow, but that current flows
in the opposite direction from emitter to collector. Instead of electrons, the emitter emits holes which
are collected by the collector.

Why are BJTs called current-controlled devices?

The reason why transistors are called current-controlled device is because it acts like an electron valve.
In the same way that a valve works, electrons flow freely when the transistor acts like a short circuit
between the collector and emitter pins, and stops the current flow when it acts like and open circuit
between collector and emitter pins. Another is that just like a valve, you can adjust the flow of current
and in transistors, this is called variable transistor.

References:
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/transistor/tran_1.html
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/transistors/all
 Experiment No.7
Bipolar Junction Transistor and Its Characteristics

GROUP MEMBERS: Vasallo, Jason Menard G. Date Performed: March 25

_________________________________ Grade: __________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

I. Objectives:
1. To be able to identify the emitter, base and collector terminals of a Bipolar Junction
Transistor.
2. To be able to distinguish a PNP and an NPN transistor.
3. To learn how to check or determine the normal and abnormal condition of the BJT.
4. To draw and understand the characteristic curves of an NPN and a PNP transistor.

II. Equipment and Components

(1) Volt-ohmmeter (VOM)
(2) Digital Multi-meter (DMM)
(1) 1 k Potentiometer
(1) 5 k Potentiometer
(1) 47 k Fixed Resistor
(1) 2N3904
(1) 2N3906
(1) DC Power Supply
(1) Breadboard
Alligator Clips and Connecting Wires

III. Schematic Diagrams

Figure 1: BJT Schematic Symbols

 Figure 2 :

IV. Procedure

Type of BJT and Leads Determination

1. Set the Ohmmeter function of the VOM to x1. Arbitrarily choose any leads of the
2N3904 taken two at a time. Determine the resistance combinations that will yield two
forward biases. Note: You are using Asian testers. These testers have reverse polarity
in the ohmmeter range.
2. Take note of the common lead for the two combinations and also the polarity as
indicated by the VOM probes. The common lead is the BASE terminal. Its polarity as well
as the type of BJT can be determined by the polarities indicated by the probes.
3. Set the VOM to x10k range. Having identified the BASE, determine the EMITTER and
COLLECTOR terminals. At reverse bias mode with respect to base, the combination that
will give a lower resistance reading will be the EMITTER terminal; consequently the
unidentified terminal is the COLLECTOR.
4. Having identified the terminals, record the resistance measurements as required in
Table 1.
5. Using either VOM or DMM with diode checking functions, insert the BJT’s lead in the
transistor sockets. Determine the value of . It is usually specified as hfe. Let it stabilize
and then record its value.
6. Touch the BJT’s plastic package with your fingers. Observe what happens to the value of
.
7. Repeat steps 1 to 6 for 2N3906. Record your answers in Table 2.
 BJT Characteristic Curves
1. Construct the circuit of Figure 2 using 2N3904 as your transistor Q.
2. Measure the collector current, IC as a function of the collector-emitter voltage, VCE.
Adjust potentiometer R3 to get the proper value of VCE. Base current, IB must be kept
constant. Check the value of IB after each change in VCE and if necessary correct it using
the potentiometer R1.
3. Record your measured values in Table 3.
4. Sketch the characteristic curve on the space provided after Table 3.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 using Q = 2N39006. You should reverse all the polarities in the
circuit. Record all values in Table 4 and draw the characteristic curve on the space
provided after the table.

V. Data

Table 1
BJT Code: 2N3904
Type: NPN
 : 100-300

Terminals Forward Resistance () Reverse Resistance () Condition

B-E 37.97M 403.866G Good
B-C 35.859M 391.214G Good

Table 2
BJT Code: 2N3906
Type: PNP
 : At least 100

Terminals Forward Resistance () Reverse Resistance () Condition

B-E 45.35M 712.332G  Good
B-C 44.88M 711.225G  Good
Based on the gathered data, state some similarities and differences of an NPN and PNP transistors.

Both NPN and PNP transistors are basic transistors of Bipolar Junction Transistors which are both used
as switches, amplifiers or oscillators. In PNP transistors, majority charge carriers are holes, whereas in
NPN transistors, electrons are the majority charge carriers.

Why do you think the BASE was chosen as the common terminal? And with respect to it, why is the
EMITTER has the lower resistance? The COLLECTOR the higher resistance?

The base was chosen as a common terminal because it’s lightly doped and is responsible for whether
the current will flow from the other sides. Emitter has a lower resistance because it is heavily doped and
responsible for the supply of electron whereas the collector has a higher resistance because it is
moderately doped and is responsible for the collection of current to be supplied by the emitter.

How can you identify a bad BJT?

You consider a transistor to be faulty when: The emitter-collector, base-collector, or base-emitter

junction is shorted. The emitter-collector, base-collector, or base-emitter junction is open.

Table 3: 2N3904 Characteristic Data

IB = 10A IB =20A IB = 30A IB = 40A

VCE (Volts)
IC1 IC2 IC3 IC4
0.25  1.357 mA 2.935 mA  4.549 mA 6.159 mA
0.5  1.38 mA  2.993 mA  4.649 mA 6.303 mA
0.75  1.385 mA  3.003 mA 4.665 mA  6.324 mA
1  1.390 mA  3.013 mA  4.680 mA  6.345 mA
1.5  1.399 mA  3.033 mA  4.712 mA  6.388 mA
2  1.408 mA  3.053 mA  4.743 mA  6.431 mA
3  1.427 mA  3.094 mA  4.805 mA  6.516 mA
4  1.446 mA  3.135 mA  4.869 mA  6.601 mA
6  1.483 mA  3.216 mA  4.995 mA  6.772 mA
8 1.521 mA  3.297 mA  5.121 mA  6.943 mA
2N3904 Characteristic Curve (IC versus VCE drawn with proper scaling)

Table 4 : 2N3906 Characteristic Data

IB = 10A IB =20A IB = 30A IB = 40A

VCE (Volts)
IC1 IC2 IC3 IC4
0.25 1.721 mA 3.364 mA 4.941 mA 6.461 mA
0.5 1.749 mA 3.421 mA 5.027 mA 6.576 mA
0.75 1.772 mA 3.467 mA 5.095 mA 6.665 mA
1 1.796 mA 3.513 mA 5.163 mA 6.754 mA
1.5 1.843 mA 3.606 mA 5.299 mA 6.932 mA
2 1.890 mA 3.699 mA 5.436 mA 7.110 mA
3 1.985 mA 3.884 mA 5.708 mA 7.467 mA
4 2.080 mA 4.069 mA 5.980 mA 7.823 mA
6  2.269 mA  4.440 mA  6.525 mA  8.536 mA
8  2.485 mA  4.810 mA  7.070 mA  9.249 mA

2N3904 Characteristic Curve (IC versus VCE drawn with proper scaling)
Describe BJT’s characteristic curves.
As the voltage increases, the current also increases and as the base current increases, so does the
increase rate of the current. If you will notice in the graph, the higher the base current gets, the smaller
the slope becomes. The characteristic curves of both transistors are very similar to each other.

What is the significance of assigning the letter Q for transistors on part designation?
When transistors were invented, the letter ‘T’ was already taken up by transformers and transistors
weren’t yet as popular and so they thought since ‘Q’ weren’t used for anything else, they’d use it for
transistor but some also claims that was chosen for it resembles the shape of the popular TO18/TO39
case styles which is in a shape of a capital letter “Q”

VI. Discussion

During the first part of the experiment, we were asked to determine whether the transistors were
PNP or NPN and later then found that the 2N3904 was an NPN and 2N3906 was a PNP. This was
achieved by determining the bias condition through connecting one lead of the multimeter to the base
and the other to any of the emitter and collector terminals. When using an NPN, since the base in this
type is the p-type, and the emitter and the collector are the n-types, it was then found that it was in
reverse bias mode when the positive lead of the multimeter is placed on the base and negative on either
of the remaining terminals. The junction behaves just like that of an ordinary p-n junction diode.

Forward and reverse resistance were also measured. The forward resistance for the base-emitter of
both transistors were 37.97M ohms for the NPN and 45.35M ohms for PNP. The forward resistance for
base-collector was 35.859M ohms for NPN and 44.88M ohms for PNP. The reverse resistance of the
base-emitter was 403.866G ohms for NPN and 712.332G for the PNP and their base-collector reverse
resistance was 391.214G for the NPN and 711.225G for the PNP.

The characteristics of both the BJTs were also determined on the second part which had the
constant values of 10uA, 20uA, 30uA, and 40uA for the base current. Collector current were then
measured with each of these base currents with varying voltage that ranges from 250mV to 8 volts. For
the NPN transistor, the collector currents ranged from 1.357 mA to 1.521 mA for the 10uA base current,
2.935 mA to  3.297 mA for the 20uA base current, 4.549 mA to  5.121 mA for the 30uA base current,
6.159 mA to   6.943 mA for the 40uA base current. For the PNP transistor, the collector currents ranged
from 1.721 mA to  2.485 mA for the 10uA base current, 3.364 mA to 4.810 mA for the 20uA base
current, 4.941 mA to  7.070 mA for the 30uA base current, 6.461 mA to   9.249 mA for the 40uA base
current.
 VII. Conclusion

A Bipolar Junction Transistor have two type: PNP and NPN. Which both have three terminals namely
the base, emitter, and collector. Emitter is the heavily doped terminal of the transistor, while the base is
the lightly doped and the collector is the moderately doped terminal. The reason for the emitter being
the heavily doped is because it is responsible for the supplying of charge carrier to the collector through
the base. And the base being the lightly doped one determines whether the charge carrier can pass
through or not. Collector is responsible for the collection of charge carriers supplied by the emitter. The
current flow can vary depending on the transistor type. For an PNP, the current flows from emitter to
collector while in the NPN, the current flows from collector to emitter.

In an NPN transistor, the current flows from collector to emitter once a current in the base terminal
is applied, however, when this current decrease, so does the current that flows from the collector to the
emitter. As compared to a PNP transistor, when a current is applied to the base terminal, no current will
flow from emitter to collector but once there’s no current in the base terminal, the current then flows
from emitter to collector.

These properties and functions of transistors makes it a good electronic device to amplify signals,
switch circuits electronicall. It makes it a good amplifier because it can control the output current based
on the input voltage. The list of different functions and applications of a transistor can vary from
detectors, amplifiers, multivibrators, oscillators, delay circuits, and many more.
Screenshots of the Experiment: