Diodes and their applications

Explanation of question 12

A diode is clamped to a metal plate. The plate will probably be used to

1. protect the diode from other components
2. conduct heat away from the diode
3. enable the diode connections to be readily accessible
4. contain the heat within the diode

The answer is :- 2 A solid-state device is easily damaged by heat. Very often, such a device is connected to a heat sink, its purpose being to dissipate this heat.