Amplification : Basics, Types and Important Terms

I am sure you must have seen an amplification system or a D.J. System which produce a high sound output from the computer input. This is a typical example of Amplifier. In my current post I'll discuss about Amplification process and terms related to it.

What is Amplification

Amplification is a process of boosting the signal feed as input. It is the process in which weak signal is given to the circuit and a strong signal is obtained as a result. This process is called Amplification.

What is Amplifier

An amplifier is the circuit used for the purpose of amplification. It is an electronic circuit which raise the weak signal to low signal.

Types of Amplifier

Amplifiers are of two types :

1. Single Stage Amplifier
2. Multi Stage Amplifier

• Single Stage Amplifier : If amplifier consists of just one circuit and there is only one input and one output part then the system is called single stage amplifier.
• Multi Stage Amplifier : If a system consists of more than the system is called multi stage amplifier. In such kind of systems the output of one stage is feed as input to the next stage and at the end output is taken from the last stage. For such system total gain is the multiplication of individual gain.

Why we need Multi Stage Amplifier

In most of the practical cases the amplification by only one stage is not enough and to observe it should be further amplified and here is why need of multistage amplifier is arise.

Important Terms Related To Amplification/Amplifier

Here are some important terms related to amplifiers : Gain : It is the ratio of output signal to the input signal. It is denoted by A.
Voltage Gain : It is the ratio of output voltage to the input voltage is called voltage gain. It is denoted by A_v. A_v = V_out/V_in
Current Gain : It is the ratio of output current to the input current is called current gain. It is denoted by A_i.A_i = I_out/I_in
Power Gain : It is the ratio of output power to the input power is called power gain. It is denoted by A_p.A_p = P_out/P_in
Distortion : The error in the shape of the input signal that occurs during the process of amplification is called Distortion. Amplification distortion is of three types :

1. Harmonic Distortion
2. Phase Distortion
3. Frequency Distortion

This was all about Amplifier and amplification for now. Stay tuned for more.