Hi ,can any one tell whether the diode is a passive or active component

 

Hello,

Have a look at the following page of the eBook:
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_3/1.html

Bertus

 

Another to check out - http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_1/2.html

 

Hi ,can any one tell whether the diode is a passive or active component

What, in your words, marks the difference between a passive and an active component?

 

In the words of one better than I....

"All active devices control the flow of electrons through them. Some active devices allow a voltage to control this current while other active devices allow another current to do the job. Devices utilizing a static voltage as the controlling signal are, not surprisingly, called voltage-controlled devices. Devices working on the principle of one current controlling another current are known as current-controlled devices. For the record, vacuum tubes are voltage-controlled devices while transistors are made as either voltage-controlled or current controlled types."

My emphasis added but words from link I provided above.

My words....
The equivalent circuit of a passive device does not contain a 'controlled' current or voltage source.

 

There are a few different, and somewhat conflicting, definitions of active and passive electronic components out there, which is one (and just one) of the reasons I asked the OP to explain what her understanding of the difference was.

If the definition is just that they control the flow of electrons through them, then would photodiodes or light-dependent resistors be considered active devices?

The distinction that I original learned was that an active device has the ability to increase the power content of the signal while a passive device does not. Using that definition, a diode would not be an active device.

The Wikipedia article on Electronic Components (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_component#Active_components) seems consistent with this, but then proceeds to list all diodes as active components (but gives no justification for doing so).

I'm actually not positive about a truly hard definition and I suspect that for any definition someone could find a device that falls into a gray area, so it is once again important that the context of the question be taken into account.

 

There are a few different, and somewhat conflicting, definitions of active and passive electronic components out there, which is one (and just one) of the reasons I asked the OP to explain what her understanding of the difference was.

If the definition is just that they control the flow of electrons through them, then would photodiodes or light-dependent resistors be considered active devices?

The distinction that I original learned was that an active device has the ability to increase the power content of the signal while a passive device does not. Using that definition, a diode would not be an active device.

The Wikipedia article on Electronic Components (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_component#Active_components) seems consistent with this, but then proceeds to list all diodes as active components (but gives no justification for doing so).

I'm actually not positive about a truly hard definition and I suspect that for any definition someone could find a device that falls into a gray area, so it is once again important that the context of the question be taken into account.

What, in your words, marks the difference between a passive and an active component?


What exactly "control the flow of electrons"?What i am thinking is ...if it is about the change in the amount of electrons flowing then the passive component resistor also oppose the flow.Can you please explain in detail about this....

 

As you said active device increases the power....increasing power indicates creating energy but this is not possible according to law of conservation of energy.....

 

As you said active device increases the power....increasing power indicates creating energy but this is not possible according to law of conservation of energy.....

If you charge a battery you have increased the energy in the battery. Does this violate the law of the conservation of energy? Of course not. All we have done is taken energy from one place (the coal at the power plant or the gasoline in your car) and put it someplace else (the battery). The same with an active device (say an amplifier). It takes energy from one place (the power supply) and puts it into the signal.