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11.1: Theory Overview

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    26198

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    A DC offset is an undesirable effect. Due to internal mismatches in the op amp, a DC signal may be present at the output of an amplifier. This generally does not present a problem for an AC amplifier, but it does lead to ambiguity in the output of a DC amplifier. A DC offset may be either positive or negative. The magnitude of the offset is proportional to the gain of the amplifier and the size of the feedback resistors. It also depends on the “luck of the draw,” in other words, just how well matched the internals of a given op amp happen to be.

    This page titled 11.1: Theory Overview is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by James M. Fiore via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.