Definition

• A microchip is, technically, a very small version of an electronic circuit printed onto a semi-conductor material.
  
  

Function

• A microchip can perform the operations of an electrical circuit, which involves moving electricity through logic gates to do anything from using your TV remotely to changing the channel to making a call on your cell phone.
  
  

Benefit

• The main benefit of a microchip is its small size. A circuit that would be the size of a table on a circuit board can be made into a microchip that is only a few millimeters long.
  
  

Usage

• Microchips are used in almost any kind of electronic device, from a TV remote control to a car's dashboard to the newest personal computers.
  
  

Cost

• Another major benefit of microchips is that they are cheap to manufacture, allowing many gadgets and electronics to be made for mass markets.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Microchips are often confused with microprocessors, the computing hearts of PCs. Microchips can be any kind of miniaturized circuit, while microprocessors are a specific kind of microchip that is very complex and can be used to perform many different kinds of operations.