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Analogue and digital signals (A-level only)

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12
Question 2

A deep-sea hydrophone records the low-frequency acoustic vocalizations of blue whales as a continuous analogue voltage signal. To transmit this data back to a research facility via a low-bandwidth satellite link, the signal must first be converted into a digital format using an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC).

Discuss the key physical and technical principles of this analogue-to-digital conversion process.

In your answer you should include:

  • what is meant by the terms sampling and quantisation
  • how the sampling frequency (referencing the Nyquist criterion) and the bit depth affect the fidelity of the digital recording
  • the specific advantages and disadvantages of using a digital format over an analogue format for this remote telemetry application.
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Markscheme

Analogue and digital signals (A-level only) Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Physics
  3. /Analogue and digital signals (A-level only)

5 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Physics Analogue and digital signals (A-level only), covering Difference between analogue and digital signals (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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