Final answer:
The process of converting an analog signal into a digital format involves dividing the signal into discrete parts through sampling and then quantizing each sample.
The process of dividing an analog signal into discrete parts is called: sampling
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of digitizing an analog signal requires dividing the signal into discrete parts using a process called sampling. During sampling, the continuous analog signal is measured at regular intervals to capture its amplitude or intensity at specific points in time.
Each sampled value is then approximated with a nearest representative digital value in a process known as quantization. This allows the continuous analog information, such as sound or visual intensities, to be converted into a digital format that electronic devices like computers and recording equipment can process. The digital signal is created by taking these discrete samples at a set voltage cutoff value.
An example includes audio recording, where sound waves (an analog signal) are sampled at a high frequency to capture the full range of sound, and then these samples are quantized into digital values to create a digital audio file.