🔍 Key Concepts

• Class A amplifier conduction (how much of the input cycle the device conducts) • Grid bias and its role in setting the operating point • What happens to linearity and dissipation when the operating point is shifted too high or too low

💭 Think About

• Think about how a Class A amplifier is supposed to operate when the bias is correct: what should the output waveform look like compared to the input? • If the tube or transistor is biased so it draws more current than intended at idle, what effect does that have on heat and power dissipation? • What happens to the signal if the bias is off such that the device is no longer operating in its most linear region?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify how incorrect bias affects the shape of the amplified waveform (clipping or distortion). • Consider how too low a bias voltage (more current) impacts plate/collector dissipation and potential overheating. • Make sure the option you pick accounts for all significant consequences of wrong grid bias, not just one.