Question

In a Butterworth filter, what is the effect of reducing the cutoff frequency?

A) Smoother frequency response.
B) Sharper frequency rolloff.
C) Increased noise suppression.
D) Decreased noise suppression.

Answer 1

Reducing the cutoff frequency in a Butterworth filter results in a smoother frequency response.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a Butterworth filter, reducing the cutoff frequency has the effect of smoother frequency response. As the cutoff frequency is reduced, the filter allows a wider range of frequencies to pass through. This results in a smoother transition between the passband and the stopband, producing a smoother frequency response.

Answer 2

Reducing the cutoff frequency in a Butterworth filter leads to a sharper frequency rolloff, but it does not alone determine the noise suppression which is affected by filter order and frequency range of noise.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a Butterworth filter, reducing the cutoff frequency results in a sharper frequency rolloff. This means that the filter will attenuate frequencies more rapidly after the cutoff point. It does not directly affect the smoothness of the frequency response, which is inherently flat in the passband for a Butterworth design, nor does it alone determine noise suppression. Noise suppression depends on both the filter order and the specific range of frequencies where noise is present relative to the cutoff frequency.