Duty cycle

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/duty-cycle

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. What is the historical context?Became critically important with the development of pulse modulation techniques in electronics
2. What is the related terminology?Synonymous with 'duty factor'; closely related to Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
3. How do you calculate a duty cycle?To find a duty cycle, divide the pulse width (the on time) by the period (on time plus off time) and multiply by 100. That gives the percentage of time the signal is on.
4. Why do engineers use duty cycles?Engineers use duty cycles to control how much power or light a device uses. By changing the on‑time, they can make motors run faster or slower, dim LED lights, or save energy in power supplies.

Pulse Width (PW): The duration of the 'on' or active state within a single cycle of a pulsed signal.
Period (T): The total time required for one complete cycle of a repeating signal, including both active and inactive states.
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM): A technique that varies the duty cycle of a signal to control the average power delivered to a device.