Active device
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Active devices are energy controllers, sometimes converting one form of energy to another: chemical, hydraulic, thermal energy, mechanical , nuclear, solar, etc, into electrical energy, driving electrical current around the circuit and hence delivering continuous energy to it.
According to one definition, an active device is a source of electric power in a circuit, such as batteries and generators. Another definition refers to electronic switching devices such as transistors.
[edit] Explanation
An electrical circuit consists of various components or devices or elements, which may be active or passive. All electrical devices which consume rather than produce energy are called passive devices, like resistors, inductors and capacitors.
[edit] See also
- Active component (list of examples of active components)
