Question 6A144

Class C vacuum tube amplifiers are designed for maximum efficiency, particularly when used as RF power amplifiers. This high efficiency is achieved because the amplifier conducts current for significantly less than half (180 degrees) of the input RF cycle, often for only 90 to 150 degrees. During the majority of the cycle, the tube is cut off, minimizing the power dissipated as heat. While this operation is highly non-linear, Class C amplifiers are always used with a tuned resonant tank circuit in the output. This tank circuit effectively "rings" or "flywheels" during the periods when the tube is cut off, reconstructing the full sinusoidal output waveform from the brief pulses of current. Because the amplifier is only "on" for a small fraction of the time, the power dissipated within the tube is minimized, leading to efficiencies typically ranging from 80% to 90%. Therefore, 85% is a very accurate representation. Options A (20%-30%) represents the typical efficiency of a Class A amplifier. Option B (60%) is too low for Class C and closer to the maximum theoretical efficiency of a Class B amplifier (78.5%). Option D (100%) is theoretically impossible due to inherent losses in any real-world electronic circuit.