What does a higher sample rate indicate?

• A. The number of pieces of data captured each second, allowing higher frequency recordings.
• B. Bit depth.
• C. Duration.
• D. Compression ratio.

Answer: (A)

Sampling rate is how many data points are captured per second when converting an analog signal to digital. More samples each second provide more information about the waveform, so higher frequencies can be represented accurately. This is tied to the idea that you need enough samples per cycle to recreate rapid changes in the signal; in practice, you can capture frequencies up to about half the sampling rate. So increasing the sample rate extends the range of frequencies you can record clearly, though it also increases file size and processing needs. Bit depth affects how precise each sample is, duration is how long the recording lasts, and compression ratio relates to data size, not how often you sample.