Technology
How does a microchip work?
A microchip works by packing millions or billions of tiny switches called transistors onto a small piece of silicon. By switching these on and off in patterns, the chip processes information as the 1s and 0s of binary code.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how a microchip works.
Step by step
- 1It's built on a wafer of silicon, a semiconductor that can both conduct and block electricity.
- 2Its core components are transistors — microscopic switches that turn current on or off.
- 3On and off represent the 1s and 0s of binary, the language of computers.
- 4Billions of transistors are wired into circuits that do math and store data.
- 5Smaller transistors mean more fit on a chip — which has driven decades of faster computers.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a microchip actually do?
- It processes and stores information by switching billions of tiny transistors on and off in patterns, carrying out the calculations that run software.
- What is a transistor?
- A microscopic electronic switch. Turning it on or off represents a 1 or a 0, and combining billions of them lets a chip compute and store data.
- Why do smaller transistors matter?
- Smaller transistors let more fit on a chip, making it faster and more efficient. This shrinking is the basis of 'Moore's Law' and decades of computing progress.