ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)Electronics Information (EI)Easy

What is the primary characteristic of a digital signal compared to an analog signal?

  1. AIt is always transmitted wirelessly.
  2. BIt is susceptible to less interference.
  3. CIt represents information using discrete, distinct values.
  4. DIt has continuous values over a range.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C. It represents information using discrete, distinct values.

Digital signals use discrete, distinct values (typically binary 0s and 1s) to represent information, contrasting with analog signals that have continuous values over a range.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Both digital and analog signals can be transmitted wirelessly or via wires.
  • B. While digital signals can be more robust to noise, this is a consequence, not the primary characteristic defining them.
  • D. This describes an analog signal.

Digital Signal

An electronic signal that represents data as a sequence of discrete values, typically binary (0s and 1s), rather than continuous values.

  • Uses discrete, distinct values.
  • Often represented by two states (high/low, on/off).
  • Less susceptible to noise degradation over long distances than analog signals.

Memory trick: Digital Differentiates, Analog Ambles.

More Electronics Information (EI) questions