Editing Electronics (section)

{{Short description|Branch of physics and electrical engineering}}
{{About|the technical field|personal/home-use electronic devices|consumer electronics|the journal|Electronics (magazine){{!}}''Electronics'' (magazine)}}
[[File:Arduino ftdi chip-1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Modern [[surface-mount technology|surface-mount]] electronic components on a printed circuit board, with a large integrated circuit at the top]]
'''Electronics''' is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of [[physics]] to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate [[electron]]s and other [[Electric charge|electrically charged particles]]. It is a subfield of [[physics]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=française |first=Académie |title=électronique {{!}} Dictionnaire de l'Académie française {{!}} 9e édition |url=http://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9E0727 |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=www.dictionnaire-academie.fr |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-21 |title=Definition of ELECTRONICS |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electronics |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> and [[electrical engineering]] which uses [[Passivity (engineering)|active devices]] such as [[transistor]]s, [[diode]]s, and [[integrated circuit]]s to control and amplify the flow of [[electric current]] and to convert it from one form to another, such as from [[alternating current]] (AC) to [[direct current]] (DC) or from [[analog signal|analog]] signals to [[digital signal|digital]] signals.
 
Electronic devices have significantly influenced the development of many aspects of modern society, such as [[telecommunications]], entertainment, education, health care, industry, and security. The main driving force behind the advancement of electronics is the [[semiconductor industry]], which continually produces ever-more sophisticated electronic devices and circuits in response to global demand. The [[semiconductor]] industry is one of the global economy's largest and most profitable [[industry (economics)|industries]], with annual revenues exceeding $481 billion in 2018. The [[electronics industry]] also encompasses other branches that rely on electronic devices and systems, such as e-commerce,{{cn|date=May 2025|reason=e-commerce doesn’t belong to manufacturing of electronics, it’s retail. Who claims this?}} which generated over $29 trillion in online sales in 2017.