Which function best describes what the detector accomplishes with the incoming signal?

Which function best describes what the detector accomplishes with the incoming signal?

• A. It separates the audio information from the carrier wave
• B. It amplifies the signal
• C. It modulates the carrier
• D. It filters the signal

Answer: (A)

The detector’s job is to demodulate the incoming signal and recover the original audio information that was encoded onto the carrier. In AM reception, it uses an envelope-detection process to remove the carrier and reconstruct the audio waveform that modulated it. In general, demodulation is what brings the information back to baseband so the audio can be heard, which is why this function is described as separating the audio information from the carrier. Amplification happens as a later stage to boost the recovered signal, not the primary role of the detector. Modulation occurs at the transmitter to imprint information on the carrier, not at the receiver. Filtering is important for selecting the right channel and shaping the signal, but the detector’s core purpose is to demodulate and recover the information content.

The detector’s job is to demodulate the incoming signal and recover the original audio information that was encoded onto the carrier. In AM reception, it uses an envelope-detection process to remove the carrier and reconstruct the audio waveform that modulated it. In general, demodulation is what brings the information back to baseband so the audio can be heard, which is why this function is described as separating the audio information from the carrier.

Amplification happens as a later stage to boost the recovered signal, not the primary role of the detector. Modulation occurs at the transmitter to imprint information on the carrier, not at the receiver. Filtering is important for selecting the right channel and shaping the signal, but the detector’s core purpose is to demodulate and recover the information content.