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Binary in nature

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jeepnjeff

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Question:
Which device is not binary in nature?

A. transistor
b. Switch
c. Relay
d. Thermistor

From what I can figure going though my books is the answer is D Thermistor can someone verify my answer.
 
Question:
Which device is not binary in nature?

A. transistor
b. Switch
c. Relay
d. Thermistor

From what I can figure going though my books is the answer is D Thermistor can someone verify my answer.

Thermistor is certainly not binary but a transistor can operate either in the digital or analog domain. So d seems the best answer if only one answer is correct.

Lefty
 
A and D.

A transistor is clearly analogue in nature and so is a thermistor. A switch and relay (same thing really) are both digital-only.
 
My guess is that this is a typical homework question which is just testing that the student listened in class, not that they are actually thinking about it.
 
Seems like the items that can either be on or off qualify...

Thermistor's resistance *varies* with temp doesn't it? Transistors can be used to build binary logic circuits but they inherently operate at a range of current/voltage values.

Relays and switches can be single throw or double throw (or if it is a rotary switch...) It seems to me the device that is inherently binary (or trinary, or n-ary) would be switches and relays.

Michael
 
No wonder students get confused with such silly questions. The answer must be D since an option of two answers was not given.
 
A and D.

A transistor is clearly analogue in nature and so is a thermistor. A switch and relay (same thing really) are both digital-only.

This was a silly question, as a transistor can operate in a saturated mode and act as logic device in such case, remember TTL?

Since the thermistor could never act like a logic device, It has to be the only solution.
 
Last edited:
You're right that you can use a transistor as a digital saturated switch but saying that a transistor is digital is totally wrong.
 
I have always hated questions like these. Where the prof thinks he is so friggin clever but in reality his question just plain sucks. There's no way you can claim that a transistor is by nature binary.

Michael
 
I have always hated questions like these. Where the prof thinks he is so friggin clever but in reality his question just plain sucks. There's no way you can claim that a transistor is by nature binary.

A lot of teachers know absolutely nothing about electronics, so it's not surprising - the number of questions you get which have no actual answer (or more than one answer) has always been a problem.
 
Sill question? So what? Better to get used to it as you'll be asked silly questions for the rest of your career.

Just be prepared to defend your answer.
 
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