The ratio of the largest to the smallest signal that a system can handle is termed:

• A. Apodization
• B. Compression
• C. Threshold
• D. Dynamic range

Answer: (D)

Dynamic range describes the ratio between the largest undistorted signal a system can handle and the smallest signal it can detect above the noise floor. It tells you how much contrast the system can represent—from the brightest to the darkest details—without clipping or losing detail in the shadows. In practice you measure it as the maximum usable signal divided by the minimum usable signal, often expressed in decibels. For example, a camera with about 12 stops of dynamic range can handle a brightness ratio of roughly 4096:1, preserving detail in both highlights and shadows. Apodization, threshold, and compression refer to different concepts (windowing to reduce sidelobes, the minimum detectable level, and reducing the range, respectively), so they don’t describe this ratio.