Compact disc player

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/compact-disc-player

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is Compact disc player?16-bit, providing a dynamic range of approximately 96 dB
2. What is the standardization body?Philips and Sony jointly developed the standard for CD-Audio (Red Book)
3. What is the sampling frequency?44.1 kHz, chosen to accurately capture audio frequencies up to 20 kHz
4. How does the laser read the music on a CD?The player shines a tiny infrared laser on the disc. When the laser hits a smooth spot (land) it bounces straight back, but when it hits a tiny pit it spreads out, and the player uses these differences to read the digital data.
5. Why did CDs become so popular?CDs were easier to keep and play than vinyl or tape, had clear sound, and let people pick any track they wanted, so many people bought them.

Optical Pickup Unit (OPU): The component in a CD player that uses a laser to read data from the disc surface.
Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC): A circuit that converts digital audio data into an analog electrical signal for playback.