Question

Cassette tapes store music as an analog signal, while CDs store music as a digital signal. Over time, the sound of music played from a cassette tape changes, but the music from a CD sounds the same each time. Why does the CD sound more consistent than the cassette tape?

Choose one answer:
a) The analog signal contains less information than the digital signal.
b) Interference can't affect digital signals.
c) The information in an analog signal is always affected by interference.

Answer 1

CDs store music in a digital format, which is less susceptible to degradation and b. interference compared to the analog signals on cassette tapes. The precision of lasers in CD players allows for accurate reading of binary data.

Step-by-step explanation:

The consistency in sound quality from CDs compared to cassette tapes is attributed to the manner in which the data is stored and read. CDs store digital information in the form of precisely created pits on their surface by a laser. This digital format is less susceptible to degradation through time and environmental factors, unlike cassette tapes, which store analog signals that can be easily affected by magnetic fields, physical wear, and other forms of interference.

A CD player uses a laser that accurately reads these pits (which represent binary data) and converts them back to an analog signal for audio playback without introducing degradation each time it is played. As a result, music on a CD maintains a consistent quality over numerous plays because the digital data remains unaltered, barring physical damage to the disc.