Physics Electronics PMDC Conceptual Practice
PMDC Verified Question 148 of 494
In the standard terminology of semiconductor diodes, the electrode connected to the P-type material and the electrode connected to the N-type material are called respectively:
A
Anode and Cathode
B
Cathode and Anode
C
Emitter and Collector
D
Gate and Drain
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option A: Anode and Cathode
Concept:

A semiconductor diode is a two-terminal device where the terminal attached to the P-type region is designated as the anode, and the terminal attached to the N-type region is designated as the cathode.

Formula:

$$\text{Diode Terminals: } \text{P-region} \longleftrightarrow \text{Anode } (A), \quad \text{N-region} \longleftrightarrow \text{Cathode } (K)$$

Solution:

  • By standard convention, current enters the diode via the anode (P-side) and exits via the cathode (N-side) during forward bias conduction.


  • The schematic diode symbol consists of an arrow pointing from Anode (P) to Cathode (N), indicating the direction of conventional forward current.


Why other options are incorrect:

  • Option B: This reverses the correct terminal assignments.
  • Option C: Emitter and Collector are terminals of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).
  • Option D: Gate and Drain are terminals of a field-effect transistor (FET).

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

Want to solve full-length papers under timed exam conditions?

Practice with zero-scroll lockdown sprints, dynamic latency zone timers, live peer selection telemetry, and the automated Amber mistake recovery loop.