What is an amplifier? Give two or three examples.
2007-03-09 07:52:48 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
An amplifer is any device that takes a small signal and increases the level of the signal. It could be electronic (that's what we think about most when the word "amplifier" is used), or it could be mechanical, or use fluids.
Examples:
On a satellite dish, there is the reflector "dish" and the little knobby thing on the end of the stick out in front of the dish. That contains an amplifier. It takes the very small signal from the satellite, reflected off the dish, and increases the level so the receiver unit can pick up on the signal.
A stereo system (home entertainment center) has amplifiers in it. Music from a CD player comes out very tiny -- too small to cause a speaker to work. An amplifier takes the small signal from the CD player and makes it stronger to the speakers will work to reproduce the music.
There is another device called a photomultiplier that is also an amplifier. A single photon of light can enter the photomultiplier tube and get converted to a single electron. that electron is amplifed to 100,000 or more electrons by the time it reaches the end of the tube.
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2007-03-09 08:24:00 · answer #1 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An amplifier increases the amplitude of something!
I personally love electronic stuff unfortunately have not spent the time studying electronics to the degree of actually being able to design, build or repair other than the simplest of electrical problems.
Guitar players and sound/P.A. guys are always talking about gain.
Gain is voltage.
A guitar produces apparently about 1/10th of a volt with it's pick-ups.
In a guitar amplifier the voltage in the "pre-amp" section is apparently around 10 volts.
The "output section" of the amplifier, amplifies this signal (10 volts) up to around 70 volts which then goes to the speaker.
The 70 volt signal is usually controlled by a dial called the master volume.
Guitar overdrive and distortion pedals simulate the sound of a distorted amplifier whose voltage has been raised up to 70 or 80 volts. How this happens I have no idea, but I know this is called "crankin' it man".
When the pre-amp section reaches 70 volts the output/amplifier section can no longer be of any help because it's maximum output is 70 volts. Therefore it can no longer amplify anything. I think.
2007-03-09 09:39:11 · answer #2 · answered by guitarplayer 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An amplifier is a device which has an input and an output. The output is typically a multiplication of the input, by some gain factor. Amplifiers can be as simple as one transistor, or can be a cascading arrangement of many transistors. An example could be inside a megaphone, a guitar amplifier, or a stereo amplifier. Amplifiers are also used in instrumentation in the medical field, to allow you to hear and see things inside the human body which the human eye and ear can't pick up.
2007-03-13 00:50:07 · answer #3 · answered by joshnya68 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
an amplifier is a device (electrical or electronic circuit, or even an individual component such as a transistor), which uses a small signal to control a larger signal.
most common are audio amplifiers (such as found in your TV, stereo, iPOD, etc.) where the control signal is the low level signal from the "source."
The output of the amplifier comes from the amplifier's power supply, but that output signal is adjusted so that it is an amplified copy of the source signal. this amplified signal is then used to drive speakers/headphones (if an audio amplifier).
but amplifiers are not restricted to audio applications. various types of instrumentation (which are used to measure lots of different things) may typically detect a very small signal. an amplifier is used to increase the power of the signal to transmit it and drive some type of display. for example, consider a polygraph (lie detector) machine. surely the signals detected from your skin are not sufficient to move those "needles" -- the needles are moved by a small motor which are driven by an amplified version of the detected signals.
2007-03-09 14:16:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An amplifier is basically a transistor (not a transistor radio). This is an electronic part used in all electronic devices including computers. What amplifiers are you talking about. Ofcourse there are audio and video amplifiers which will as the name indicates increase the signal level of the input.
2007-03-09 08:02:22 · answer #5 · answered by edge 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can amplify signal in power.
High frequency amplifier, Low frequency amplifier.
Vidio amplifier, Audio amplifier
2007-03-09 09:18:56 · answer #6 · answered by JAMES 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because of the fact maximum outputs on sturdy-state shopper digital aspects are of extremely low impedance and supply sufficient/prevalentchronic... purely use a form of radio shack 'y" connectors - Male RCA to double female RCA. the only authentic situation would be the "quantity" of cable (capacitance) which you would be connecting; use short cables to decrease. this would desire to paintings on your 2-channel preamp yet i'm shocked that it would not aleady have 2 outputs. you additionally can use the tape output no count if it is not in use as a 2nd or third (by using 2). of direction, in the experience that your preamp makes use of tubes this methodology isn't counseled.
2016-12-18 09:26:41 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋