Section: STEM · EngineeringDifficulty: Medium
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
USUK
The ratio of desired signal power to background noise power in a system.
Also: SNR
Definition
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure used in science and engineering to quantify the level of a desired signal relative to background noise. A higher SNR indicates a cleaner, more detectable signal. It is typically expressed in decibels (dB). SNR is critical in communications, audio engineering, medical imaging, and electronic instrumentation design.
Example
“A radio telescope detecting a faint signal from a distant galaxy must have an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio; engineers cool the detector to near absolute zero to minimize thermal noise that would otherwise drown out the cosmic signal.”
Synonyms
- SNR
- signal clarity measure
- noise figure
Antonyms / Opposites
- noise floor
Images
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Related Terms
- Decibel
- Noise Reduction
- Bandwidth
- Amplifier