General exam question G5B11
Subelement G5, ELECTRICAL PRINCIPLES· Group G5B
What is the ratio of PEP to average power for an unmodulated carrier?
- A.0.707
- B.1.00 (correct answer)
- C.1.414
- D.2.00
WhyThe ratio of PEP to average power for an unmodulated carrier is 1.00. An unmodulated carrier (like a steady CW tone or an idling FM carrier) sits at a constant amplitude the whole time it's transmitting, so its peak envelope power and its average power are the same value, giving a PEP-to-average ratio of exactly 1.00, answer B. The other ratios describe waveforms whose envelope varies over time, such as a modulated SSB signal, not a steady unmodulated carrier.
Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28 · Question text is verbatim from the 2023-2027 NCVEC Element 3 pool (public domain); the explanation above is original writing, see our methodology.
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