Thyratron

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a light switch? Yes? Well, a thyratron is kind of like a super cool switch for really big things like lights in stadiums.

You see, when we turn on a light switch, we are closing a circuit which allows electricity to flow and turn on the light. A thyratron does something similar but it can handle way more electricity and control when it turns on and off.

It's made up of a metal tube that is full of gas and has a filament called a cathode on one end and a plate called an anode on the other end. When we apply a small amount of voltage to a third electrode called a gate between the cathode and anode, it allows a whole bunch of electricity to flow from the cathode to the anode.

That might not sound like a big deal, but it means we can control when lots of electricity flows and when it stops. This makes it really useful for things like controlling the beams in a giant stadium or powering a machine in a factory.

So, there you have it kiddo, a thyratron is a super cool switch that controls when lots of electricity flows and it's perfect for controlling big things.