Telephones have them. Most watches have them. They help make our cars safe. They make our telephones work more quickly. And space travel would be impossible without them.
They are microprocessors. They make our lives easier in many ways. A microprocessor is a type of microchip that can hold the signals needed to run electronic devices. Some microchips only store information. But if the microchip is also able to “figure things out,” then it’s called a microprocessor. A microprocessor works faster than your brain. And it can fit on the tip of your finger!
The surface of this tiny part is cut with grooves. Each groove is packed with thousands of tiny electrical switches. The switches are connected by thin metal wires. All the wires link together-a group called a circuit.
Microprocessors are also called integrated circuits. Equipment such as calculators made with integrated circuits are small, light, and easy to use.
When you use such equipment, bursts of electric currents speed along the circuits. These bursts are like messages. They tell the equipment what to do.
The most important part of a computer is its microchip, or integrated circuit. A microchip can fit on a fingertip. When seen under a microscope, the tiny grooves and wires look like a maze.
The first integrated circuit was made for the U.S. space program in 1959. Equipment on the spacecraft had to be very small. All electrical signals for the equipment were put on a strip of material called silicon. Later, circuits were made into tiny squares called silicon chips.
Picture Credit : Google