An amplifier is an electronic circuit that increases the power of a signal.
It does this by taking energy from a power supply (e.g., a battery or wall outlet) and controlling the output to replicate the shape of the input signal, but with a larger amplitude.
Key Terms:
· Input Signal: The low-power, information-carrying signal (e.g., from a microphone, guitar pickup, or radio antenna).
· Output Signal: The higher-power, amplified replica of the input signal.
· Gain: The measure of amplification, defined as the ratio of output (voltage, current, or power) to input. It's often expressed in decibels (dB).
