Signal & Systems: Classifying Signals into Energy/Power - Explained

In summary, the conversation was about the classification of a signal into energy or power and the physical meaning of this classification. The participants were confused about the difference between energy and power and how it applies to signals. They also discussed the definition of power and energy as defined by dictionary.com and gave examples of power and energy signals. One participant suggested that there is no such thing as an energy signal and another suggested that a power signal is a voltage on a conductor that is capable of driving a transducer. The conversation ended with the participants still unsure about the concept and suggesting to refer to a specific source for more clarification.
  • #1
abdo375
133
0
what does the classification of a signal into energy or power mean, can someone please explain the physical meaning of this, not just mathematical formulas.
 
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  • #2
Can you give an example to clarify your question please?
 
  • #3
i also had the same question in my mind. we are generally asked tell whether the given signal is power signal or energy signal. What excatly do we mean by this. That this signal contains power information and this signal contains energy information or something else. Can someone please clarify.
 
  • #4
As defined at www.dictionary.com:
Power:
The rate at which work is done, expressed as the amount of work per unit time and commonly measured in units such as the watt and horsepower.
.
.
Energy:
The capacity of a physical system to do work.
.
Off the top of my head I'd say there is no such thing as an energy signal unless you consider the AC voltage coming into our houses an energy signal. That really isn't considered a signal either. A signal is usually is defined as something that is conveying intelligence such as audio. I wonder what the audio and video are called on pro wrestling TV? I can't consider it intelligent, so is it a signal? :rofl:
A power signal I would say is a voltage on a conductor that is carrying or capable of carrying (source included, such as an output transistor) enough current to drive a loudspeaker for instance or driving some other type of transducer.
 
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  • #6
I don't really know what you're asking either. You can measure the power of a signal and the energy of a signal.
 
  • #7
Maxwell said:
I don't really know what you're asking either. You can measure the power of a signal and the energy of a signal.

I think your talking about a whole other point go to

http://cnx.rice.edu/content/m10055/latest/

to see what I mean.
 
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1. What is the difference between an energy and power signal?

An energy signal has finite energy, meaning it has a specific amount of energy that can be measured. A power signal, on the other hand, has infinite energy and the energy is spread out over time. In other words, an energy signal is a finite pulse while a power signal is a continuous signal.

2. How do you classify a signal as energy or power?

A signal is classified as an energy signal if its energy is finite, meaning the integral of the signal squared is finite. If the energy is infinite, then the signal is classified as a power signal.

3. Can a signal be both an energy and power signal?

No, a signal can only be classified as either an energy or power signal. It cannot be both at the same time.

4. What are some common examples of energy and power signals?

Energy signals can include a single finite pulse, while power signals can include continuous signals such as sinusoidal waves or white noise.

5. What is the significance of classifying signals as energy or power?

Classifying signals as energy or power is important in understanding their properties and behavior. It helps in analyzing and processing signals for various applications in communication, control systems, and signal processing.

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