Electronics-Miscellaneous Components is a largely small cap industry. It holds 35 companies. This large number of firms makes the niche a lively, diverse, and complex environment. To better understand products in it, electrical engineers classify components as active, passive, or electromechanical.

Active components rely on a source of energy and usually inject power into a circuit.A battery is a one example. Semiconductors are the largest group of active components. Displays are here (LED, LCD). This group also includes amplifying components like transistors.

Passive componentscan’t supply energy. Resistors and capacitors and antennas fall here.

Electromechanical componentscarry out electrical operations. They use moving parts. Think of power cords and switches.

There is plenty more to explore. Learn by clicking through a number of business descriptions on Zacks.com.