Understanding AM Modulation: Principles and Applications

AM stands for "Amplitude Modulation". It is a type of modulation where the amplitude (power) of the carrier wave is varied in proportion to the message signal. The message signal can be a audio or video signal, and the carrier wave is typically a high-frequency sine wave.

In AM, the amplitude of the carrier wave is increased or decreased in proportion to the strength of the message signal. This variation in amplitude causes the frequency of the carrier wave to shift slightly, creating a new frequency that contains both the original frequency of the carrier wave and the information contained in the message signal.

The new frequency created by the AM process is called the "modulated frequency", and it can be used to transmit information over long distances using radio waves. The demodulation process, which is the reverse of the modulation process, is used to extract the original message signal from the modulated frequency.