MadSci Network: Engineering |
Good Question! The answer is not simple. The difference between Class A, Class AB, Class B....amplifiers is in whether current flows in the amplifier or not, and how efficient the amplifier is, that is, how much of the *supply* power of the amplifier can be actually delivered to the load. Class A amplifiers have current continuously flowing in amplifier regardless of whether or not power is delivered to the load. Class AB amplifiers also have current continuously flowing in the amplifier, but not as much as Class A. Class B amplifiers do not have current flowing in the amplifier unless there is some power being delivered to the load. As such, they are more efficient than Class A or AB. Class C amplifiers do not have current flowing in the amp unless *a lot* of power is being delivered to the load. Therefore, they are more efficient than Class B amplifiers. There are also Class D, Class E, and Class T amplifiers...more efficient still. The power you can get from any of these amplifiers is theoretically unlimited: if you build a big enough amp in any class, you can get the power you want out of them. Don't use any of these amplifiers to drive a Tesla coil: IT'S NOT SAFE!!! Hope this helps!
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