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Frequency of a signal sampled at 300 Hz

Short answer

Assuming the standard signal x_a(t)=3cos50πt+10sin300πt−cos100πt, analog frequencies are 25, 150, 50 Hz. With F_s=300 Hz, discrete frequencies f = F/F_s are 1/12, 1/2, 1/6 cycles/sample. The sine term vanishes (sin(πn)=0), so x[n]=3cos(πn/6)−cos(πn/3).

The signal is sampled at the rate Fs = 300 samples/sec. Determine the frequency of the discrete-time signal x[n] = xₐ(nT), T = 1/Fs [The analog signal xₐ(t) is not given on the paper.]

The analog signal is not printed in the question. This answer assumes the standard textbook signal (Proakis) whose Nyquist rate is exactly 300 Hz:

xa(t)=3cos⁡50πt+10sin⁡300πt−cos⁡100πtx_a(t) = 3\cos 50\pi t + 10\sin 300\pi t - \cos 100\pi t

The same method works for any given xa(t)x_a(t).

Method

Sampling at t=nT=n/Fst = nT = n/F_s turns an analog frequency FF into a discrete-time frequency

f=FFs cycles/sample,ω=2πFFs rad/samplef = \frac{F}{F_s}\ \text{cycles/sample}, \qquad \omega = 2\pi\frac{F}{F_s}\ \text{rad/sample}

Frequencies of each term

TermFF (Hz)f=F/300f = F/300ω=2πf\omega = 2\pi f
3cos⁡50πt3\cos 50\pi t25251/121/12π/6\pi/6
10sin⁡300πt10\sin 300\pi t1501501/21/2π\pi
−cos⁡100πt-\cos 100\pi t50501/61/6π/3\pi/3

Discrete-time signal

x[n]=xa ⁣(n300)=3cos⁡πn6+10sin⁡(πn)−cos⁡πn3\begin{aligned} x[n] &= x_a\!\left(\frac{n}{300}\right) \\ &= 3\cos\frac{\pi n}{6} + 10\sin(\pi n) - \cos\frac{\pi n}{3} \end{aligned}

Since sin⁡(πn)=0\sin(\pi n) = 0 for every integer nn, the 150 Hz term gives all-zero samples:

x[n]=3cos⁡πn6−cos⁡πn3x[n] = 3\cos\frac{\pi n}{6} - \cos\frac{\pi n}{3}

Answer: the discrete-time frequencies are f=1/12, 1/2, 1/6f = 1/12,\ 1/2,\ 1/6 cycles/sample (ω=π/6, π, π/3\omega = \pi/6,\ \pi,\ \pi/3 rad/sample). The highest frequency is 150 Hz, so the Nyquist rate is 300 Hz. Sampling at exactly 300 Hz loses the sine term, which shows why FsF_s must be strictly greater than 2Fmax2F_{max}.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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