Analog vs. Digital Signals

Overview

We hear the word "digital" all the time—digital technology, digital device, digital TV, etc. But what does it actually mean? In this lesson plan, your students will learn how digital signals allow us to reliably transmit and store information.

NGSS Alignment

This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:

• MS-PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

This lesson focuses on these aspects of NGSS Three Dimensional Learning:

Science & Engineering Practices	Disciplinary Core Ideas	Crosscutting Concepts
Planning and Carrying out Investigations. Collect data about the performance of a proposed object, tool, process, or system under a range of conditions.	PS4.C: Information Technologies and Instrumentation. Digitized signals (sent as wave pulses) are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information.	Science is a Human Endeavor. Advances in technology influence the progress of science and science has influenced advances in technology.

Materials

• Printer paper (1 piece per student). Make sure the paper can be used for tracing (do not use heavy weight paper).
• Graph paper (1 piece per student). Make sure the paper can be used for tracing (do not use heavy weight paper).
• Scissors (for teacher prep work)
• For the entire class: Smartphone with a sensor app such as phyphox, available for free on Google Play for Android devices (version 4.0 or newer) or from the App Store for iOS devices (iOS 9.0 or newer).