What are the differences between the active and passive components?

The active and passive components are two basic classifications of electronic components that both of them can be selected and designed according to specific circuit requirements to meet the functional and performance requirements of the circuit,this is very common in practical usage scenarios and is also conducive to developing a more practical product.

But what are the differences between them? So today let's elaborate on it.

1)Functional Characteristics

The active components can amplify electrical signals, oscillate, control current or energy distribution, and even perform functions such as data arithmetic and processing. However, the passive components,are passive and submissive, and can only pass through the electronic components according to the original basic characteristics, also the response to the electrical signal is passive.

2)External energy supply

The active components need external energy supply to work properly, for example, transistors need supply voltage to activate and control the current.But at the same time,the passive components requires no additional energy supply and fulfill their function solely through the energy of the electrical signal itself.

3)Complexity

Active components are usually more complex than passive components,it’s because that they have more functional and control characteristics than the passive ones, while passive components are usually simple resistors, capacitors, inductors, and other basic components without complex internal structures and control features. Therefore, integrated circuits often require the integration of a large number of active components to achieve complex data processing and control functions.

Also they have different application scenarios themselves.

Active components are those elements in a circuit that are capable of generating energy gain and amplifying signals,which means that they can extract energy from an external power source and amplify the signal to a higher level. Active components are the core part of electronic devices and are used to amplify, switch and control current. Common active components include transistors, field effect tubes (MOSFETs), bipolar transistors (BJTs), and integrated circuits (including operational amplifiers, logic gates, etc.). They are mainly used to build complex circuits such as amplifiers, logic circuits, and oscillators.

On the other hand,The passive components which are primarily used to condition, filter, store and transmit current, voltage and frequency.However,they don’t rely on an external power source to amplify signals, but simply process them according to the characteristics of the circuit. We can see passive components include resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transformers used widely,and most of them primarily used to control current and voltage, as well as to perform basic circuit functions.

Both of them plays important roles in our life, and their applications are wide-ranging and interdependent. Generally, the active components are more often used in electronic products that require signal amplification, control, and processing, such as amplifiers, radios, televisions, and computers,and the passive components are more often used in electronic products that regulate, match, and protect circuits, such as power adapters, filters, fuses, resistors, etc. All of them play an important function and feature in circuit design and application, bringing convenience and innovation to our life.

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