Frequency from period for a sawtooth: A sawtooth waveform has a period of 10 ms. What is its frequency in hertz?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 100 Hz

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Frequency and period are reciprocals for any repetitive waveform, including sawtooth signals used in timing, ramp generators, and sweep circuits. Converting between milliseconds and hertz correctly is a fundamental time–frequency skill for electronics and instrumentation work.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Sawtooth period T = 10 ms.
  • Relation: f = 1 / T.
  • Units: 1 ms = 10^-3 s, so 10 ms = 0.01 s.


Concept / Approach:
Compute the frequency as the reciprocal of the period after converting to seconds. Maintaining unit consistency avoids order-of-magnitude mistakes that are common when switching between milliseconds and seconds.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Convert period: T = 10 ms = 0.01 s.Compute frequency: f = 1 / T = 1 / 0.01 = 100 Hz.Therefore, the frequency of the sawtooth is 100 Hz.


Verification / Alternative check:
Check via intuition: A period of 10 ms means 100 cycles occur each second (since 100 * 0.01 s = 1 s). This reaffirms the numerical result without further calculation.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • 10 Hz: Would correspond to T = 0.1 s (100 ms), not 10 ms.
  • 50 Hz: Would require T = 20 ms.
  • 1,000 Hz: Would require T = 1 ms.


Common Pitfalls:

  • Forgetting to convert milliseconds to seconds before inversion.
  • Inverting and then misplacing the decimal point by a factor of 10.


Final Answer:
100 Hz

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