Amplifier

How it is used

Used in audio, sensors, RF and instrumentation. Engineers talk about power amplifiers, audio amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers and amplifier stages built with op-amps. An amplifier clips or saturates when its output reaches the supply limits.

Example sentences

1. The amplifier has a gain of 100, so a 10 mV input gives 1 V at the output.

2. The amplifier starts clipping when the input goes above 50 mV.

Common collocations

• power amplifier
• audio amplifier
• instrumentation amplifier
• amplifier stage
• amplifier gain

Related terms

• gainThe ratio of a circuit's output to its input, showing how much it amplifies a signal. It can be given as a plain number, such as ×10, or in decibels.
• op-ampShort for operational amplifier: an integrated amplifier with two inputs and very high gain. With a few resistors and capacitors around it, it can amplify, filter, compare or buffer signals.
• signalA voltage or current that carries information, such as a sensor reading, a sound or digital data. Signals can be analog, changing smoothly, or digital, switching between fixed levels.
• noiseUnwanted random or interfering signals that mix with the signal you want and make it harder to measure or use. It can come from components, power supplies, motors or radio sources.
• transistorA semiconductor device used to switch or amplify signals. A small current or voltage at one terminal controls a much larger current through the other two.

More terms: Signals and Analog Electronics

• frequency
• bandwidth
• filter
• waveform
• decibel
• sampling rate