Question

Draw a block diagram of a simple radio receiver.

Answer 1

Hint - Start the solution by describing the general concept behind a radio. Then draw a well-labelled block diagram of the radio receiver. It is also a good idea to explain each unit of the block diagram individually.

Complete step-by-step solution -
Radio - It is a signaling and communication technology. Radio uses waves in the electromagnetic spectrum between frequency ranges of $30Hz$ and $300GHz$.These waves are generated by an electronic device known as a transmitter. The waves emitted by the transmitter are picked up by antenna, an electronic device installed on the radio.
The block diagram of a simple radio receiver

The components of this system are as follows –
Aerial - Aerial, is more commonly known as antenna. This is the component of the radio that makes it a wireless device. Antenna receives electromagnetic waves emitted from transmitter stations. An antenna is usually in the form a metal rod or a metal dish ( like the one you use for services like Tata sky, Dish-TV)
Tuned Circuit – They consist of an inductor coil and a capacitor, and are used to tune and select the radio stations, present on a particular frequency and reject the rest.
Detector – It is a device or circuit, used in a radio to extract desired signal from the carrier wave, a process called demodulation.
AF amplifier- It is a component of radio that amplifies the low power electronic audio signals, so that it becomes strong enough to drive loudspeakers and headphones.
Loudspeaker – A loudspeaker is essentially a speaker that receives audio signal and converts it into physical sound waves.

Note - A block diagram is essentially a diagram that shows a simple schematic form based on the general arrangement of components in a complex system. Block diagrams like other visual aids, make the process of understanding and explaining complex systems easy and more efficient.