Nyquist rate
- noun
- /ˈnaɪkwɪst reɪt/
- Specialized
- To avoid aliasing, the signal must be sampled at a rate greater than the Nyquist rate.
Examples
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The Nyquist rate is twice the highest frequency contained in a signal.
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Engineers use the Nyquist rate to determine the appropriate sampling frequency for digital audio recordings.
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The Nyquist rate is crucial for digital signal processing.
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Can you explain the Nyquist rate to me?
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Engineers determine the Nyquist rate to ensure that audio signals can be accurately reconstructed.
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The Nyquist rate prevents distortion by indicating the minimum sampling frequency necessary for a clear signal.
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In digital audio, the Nyquist rate helps avoid loss of information by defining the sampling frequency required.
How Often
Surface Forms
Morphology
Nyquist + rate
This is an eponymous technical term: 'Nyquist' is a surname/eponym with no lexical meaning for a B1 learner and 'rate' only signals a general frequency/amount. The specific concept (minimum sampling frequency to avoid information loss) is domain-specific and cannot be derived from the constituent words alone, so prior technical knowledge is required.
Etymology
Nyquist rate is easiest to remember with a simple picture: imagine taking photos of a fast-spinning wheel. If you take too few photos the wheel can look like it moves the wrong way, so the Nyquist rate is the minimum rate, meaning how often you take samples, needed to rebuild the original sound or picture without those 'wrong' images.