Power Relations in AM Waves

In an amplitude modulated (AM) wave, the power is distributed between the carrier wave and the sidebands that are created due to the modulation process.

Assuming perfect modulation, the total power of the AM wave is constant, and it is equal to the sum of the power of the unmodulated carrier wave and the power of the two sidebands.

Power Relations in AM Waves

The power of the carrier wave is given by:

Pc = (Ac^2)/2

where Ac is the amplitude of the carrier wave.

The power of each sideband is given by:

Ps = (Am^2)/2

where Am is the amplitude of the modulating signal.

The total power of the AM wave is given by:

PT = Pc + Ps + Ps

where PT is the total power.

From the above equations, we can see that the power of each sideband is equal, and it is half of the power of the carrier wave. Therefore, the total power of the AM wave is three times the power of the carrier wave.

The power relations in an AM wave are important because they affect the efficiency of the transmission and the quality of the recovered signal at the receiver. For example, a high percentage modulation may cause the power of the AM wave to exceed the capacity of the transmission channel, resulting in distortion or clipping of the signal. On the other hand, a low percentage modulation may result in poor signal quality and reduced intelligibility.