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The amplitude of a periodic variable is a measure of its change over a single period (such as time or spatial period). There are various definitions of amplitude (see below), which are all functions of the magnitude of the difference between the variable's extreme values. In older texts the phase is sometimes called the amplitude.[1]
Contents
1 Definitions of the term 1.1 Peak-to-peak amplitude 1.2 Peak amplitude 1.3 Semi-amplitude 1.4 Root mean square amplitude 1.5 Ambiguity 1.6 Pulse amplitude 2 Formal representation 3 Waveform and envelope 4 See also 5 Notes
Peak amplitude
In audio system measurements, telecommunications and other areas where the measurand is a signal that swings above and below a zero value but is not sinusoidal, peak amplitude is often used. This is the maximum absolute value of the signal.
Semi-amplitude
Semi-amplitude means half the peak-to-peak amplitude.[2] It is the most widely used measure of orbital amplitude in astronomy and the measurement of small semi-amplitudes of nearby stars is important in the search for exoplanets.[3] For a sine wave, peak amplitude and semi-amplitude are the same. Some scientists[4] use "amplitude" or "peak amplitude" to mean semi-amplitude, that is, half the peak-to-peak amplitude.
Ambiguity
In general, the use of peak amplitude is simple and unambiguous only for symmetric periodic waves, like a sine wave, a square wave, or a triangular wave. For an asymmetric wave (periodic pulses in one direction, for example), the peak amplitude becomes ambiguous. This is because the value is different depending on whether the maximum positive signal is measured relative to the mean, the maximum negative signal is measured relative to the mean, or the maximum positive signal is measured relative to the maximum negative signal (the peak-to-peak amplitude) and then divided by two. In electrical engineering, the usual solution to this ambiguity is to measure the amplitude from a defined reference potential (such as ground or 0 V). Strictly speaking, this is no longer amplitude since there is the possibility that a constant (DC component) is included in the measurement.
A sinusoidal curve 1 = Peak amplitude ( ), 2 = Peak-to-peak amplitude ( ), 3 = RMS amplitude ( ), 4 = Wave period (not an amplitude)
Pulse amplitude
In telecommunication, pulse amplitude is the magnitude of a pulse parameter, such as the voltage level, current level, field intensity, or power level.
Pulse amplitude is measured with respect to a specified reference and therefore should be modified by qualifiers, such as "average", "instantaneous", "peak", or "root-meansquare". Pulse amplitude also applies to the amplitude of frequency- and phase-modulated waveform envelopes.[7]
Formal representation
In this simple wave equation
A is the peak amplitude of the wave, x is the oscillating variable, t is time, K and b are arbitrary constants representing time and displacement offsets respectively. The units of the amplitude depend on the type of wave, but are always in the same units as the oscillating variable. A more general representation of the wave equation is more complex, but the role of amplitude remains analogous to this simple case. For waves on a string, or in medium such as water, the amplitude is a displacement. The amplitude of sound waves and audio signals (which relates to the volume) conventionally refers to the amplitude of the air pressure in the wave, but sometimes the amplitude of the displacement (movements of the air or the diaphragm of a speaker) is described. The logarithm of the amplitude squared is usually quoted in dB, so a null amplitude corresponds to dB. Loudness is related to amplitude and intensity and is one of most salient qualities of a sound, although in general sounds can be recognized independently of amplitude. The square of the amplitude is proportional to the intensity of the wave. For electromagnetic radiation, the amplitude of a photon corresponds to the changes in the electric field of the wave. However radio signals may be carried by electromagnetic radiation; the intensity of the radiation (amplitude modulation) or the frequency of the radiation (frequency modulation) is oscillated and then the individual oscillations are varied (modulated) to produce the signal.
See also
Waves and their properties: Frequency Period Wavelength Crest factor Amplitude modulation
Notes
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. ^ Knopp, Konrad; Bagemihl, Frederick (1996). Theory of Functions Parts I and II. Dover Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-486-69219-7. ^ Tatum, J. B. Physics Celestial Mechanics (http://orca.phys.uvic.ca/~tatum/celmechs/celm18.pdf). Paragraph 18.2.12. 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-22. ^ Goldvais, Uriel A. Exoplanets (http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forums/1_109580628.pdf), pp. 23. Retrieved 2008-08-22. ^ Regents of the University of California. Universe of Light: What is the Amplitude of a Wave? (http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/light/measure_amp.html#measure4) 1996. Retrieved 2008-08-22. ^ Department of Communicative Disorders University of WisconsinMadison. RMS Amplitude (http://www.comdis.wisc.edu/vcd202/rms.html). Retrieved 2008-08-22. ^ Ward, Electrical Engineering Science, pp. 141142, McGraw-Hill, 1971. ^ This article incorporates public domain material from the General Services Administration document "Federal Standard 1037C" (http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/fs-1037/fs-1037c.htm).
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