Question

The functions of a radio receiver are
(A) Receive the incoming modulated carrier by the antenna
(B) Select the wanted signal and reject the unwanted signal and the noise
(C) Detection and amplification of the information signal from the carrier
(D) All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: In radio communications, a radio receiver, also known as a receiver, is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the information carried by them to a usable form. It is an essential component of all systems that use radio and is used with an antenna. The information being broadcasted may be in the form of sound, moving images or digital data.

Complete step by step answer:
We are concerned with the functioning of a radio receiver. Practical radio receivers perform three basic functions on the signal from the antenna: filtering, amplification and demodulation.
During filtering of radio frequencies, the right signals or the wanted information is allowed to pass while the undesired signal is cancelled out. It includes the complete or partial suppression of some aspect of the signal. Amplification is the process of increasing the output frequency to minimise power loss during transmission. At the receiver’s end, the frequency must be amplified again to bring it back to the original signal’s frequency.
Usually, the information is embedded onto a carrier wave for better transmission. At the receiver’s end, the original information must be extracted from the carrier wave. This process is called demodulation.
Hence we can say that a radio receiver performs all the functions mentioned in our options. Therefore option (D) or all of the above is the correct answer.

Note: One point of confusion for students is that they usually don’t differentiate between a radio receiver and a radio antenna. Antenna only serves to catch the radio waves or signals whereas the receiver comprises various components that serve all the functions starting from catching signals to converting them back to useful information.