Signal to Noise Ratio Formula

A signal-to-noise value informs us about the signal’s quality. It is

abbreviated as S/N or SNR. The formula calculates the ratio of the
intensity of the received signal to the strength of the disturbance in the
transmitter.
It is often used to determine the quality of transmission

What is Signal to Noise Ratio?

SNR, or signal-to-noise ratio, basically tells you how clear a signal is.
Think of it like a conversation. You’re the signal, trying to get your
message across. The noise is everything else going on around you,
making it hard to hear. A high SNR means your message is loud and clear
compared to the background noise. We use SNR in science and
engineering, often measured in decibels (dB). In simpler terms, imagine
talking to someone in a room. A quiet room with few people means high
SNR – easy conversation. But a loud, crowded room makes
understanding difficult – that’s low SNR.

Signal to Noise Ratio Formula

Formula
SNR = Psignal/Pnoise = µ/σ
where
 Psignal denotes the signal’s power, the population mean
 Pnoise denotes the power of noise, the standard deviation of data

Some Basics of Signal to Noise Ratio Calculations

Imagine you’re trying to listen to your favorite song on the radio, but
there’s static in the background. That static is the noise floor, unwanted
interference from other signals. SNR, or signal-to-noise ratio, tells you
how strong the song (signal) is compared to the static (noise). The higher
the SNR, the clearer the song sounds.

We measure SNR in decibels (dB). Let’s say your radio picks up the song
at -65 dBm (decibel-milliwatts) and the static is at -80 dBm. The
difference, 15 dB, is your SNR. In the world of Wi-Fi, experts recommend
an SNR of at least 20 dB for smooth web browsing. Here’s a breakdown
of what different SNR values mean for your connection:
 Below 10 dB: Basically unusable, the noise overpowers the signal.
 10 dB to 15 dB: Barely there, connection might drop frequently.
 15 dB to 25 dB: Not great, but you might be able to browse slowly.
 25 dB to 40 dB: Good connection, reliable for most things.
 41 dB or higher: Excellent connection, perfect for streaming and
gaming.
While SNR is often used for electrical signals, it can apply to anything with
a signal and background noise. For example, scientists use it to measure
chemical signals in cells or the clarity of sound in music players. The key
difference is that audio SNR is always positive. An SNR of 95 dB means
the music is 95 dB stronger than the noise, which sounds much better
than 80 dB.
Properties of SNR
1. Measure of Quality: SNR is a key metric for assessing the quality of a
signal in relation to background noise. A higher SNR indicates a better-
quality signal with less interference from noise.
2. Dimensionless Quantity: SNR is expressed as a ratio of signal power
to noise power, making it a dimensionless quantity. It is typically
represented in decibels (dB) for convenience.
3. Non-negative Value: SNR values are non-negative, as the signal
power must always be greater than or equal to the noise power for a
meaningful comparison.
4. Dependence on Signal Strength: SNR depends on the strength or
amplitude of the signal of interest. A stronger signal relative to the
noise results in a higher SNR, indicating better signal quality.
5. Influence on Performance: SNR directly influences the performance
of communication systems and signal processing applications. Higher
SNR leads to better reception quality, improved accuracy in
measurements, and increased data transmission rates.
6. Effect on Detection Threshold: In detection and estimation tasks,
SNR determines the threshold for reliably detecting and distinguishing
the signal from noise. Higher SNR values allow for lower detection
thresholds, improving the system’s sensitivity.
7. Trade-off with Bandwidth: SNR is often considered alongside
bandwidth in communication systems. Increasing bandwidth can
improve SNR by allowing more signal power to be transmitted, but it
can also increase noise, leading to a trade-off between bandwidth and
SNR.
How to Calculate Signal to Noise Ratio?
Finding SNR can be easy or tricky, depending on what you’re working
with. If your signal and noise are already in decibels (dB), you can simply
subtract the noise from the signal strength. Think of it like subtracting
points – the bigger the difference, the higher the SNR.
For more complex situations, we use a formula. We take the signal
strength, divide it by the noise, and then put that result into a calculator
function (written as “log”). Finally, depending on whether we’re measuring
power or voltage, we multiply by 10 or 20. The answer will still be in
decibels (dB).
Imagine the signal strength is 300 millivolts (a strong signal) and the noise
is 2 microvolts (very weak). Using the formula for voltage (multiply by 10
after the log), the SNR would be around 62 dB, indicating a clear signal.
Related Article:
 What is Noise Factor?
 Effective Noise Temperature
 Noise Figure

Sample Problems
Question 1:

A signal has a power of 20 milliwatts, and the noise present has a power of 2 milliwatts.
Calculate the SNR in decibels (dB).

Formula:

SNRdB=10log⁡10(PsignalPnoise)SNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}\right)SNRdB
=10log10(PnoisePsignal)

Question 2:

The power of the signal is 50 microwatts, and the power of the noise is 5 microwatts. What is
the SNR in decibels?

Question 3:

You are given a signal power of 1000 watts and a noise power of 50 watts. Compute the SNR
in decibels.

Question 4:

A communication system records an SNR of 25 dB. If the noise power is 1 watt, what is the
power of the signal?

Hint:

SNRdB=10log⁡10(PsignalPnoise)SNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}\right)SNRdB
=10log10(PnoisePsignal)
Question 5:

In an audio system, the signal-to-noise ratio is measured as 40 dB. If the noise power is 0.01
watts, calculate the signal power.

Question 6:

A signal has a power of 100 μW, and the noise has a power of 25 μW. What is the SNR in
linear scale (i.e., not in dB)?

Formula:

SNR=PsignalPnoiseSNR = \frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}SNR=PnoisePsignal

Question 7:

A receiver has a noise power of 0.005 W and an SNR of 15 dB. What is the signal power?

Question 8:

A signal-to-noise ratio is measured as 30 dB. What is the ratio of the signal power to noise
power (SNR) in linear terms?

Feel free to try solving these questions, and let me know if you need help with the solutions!

You said:
give answers also

ChatGPT said:

Here are the answers to the SNR practice questions:

Question 1:

Given:

 Signal power Psignal=20 mWP_{signal} = 20 \, mWPsignal=20mW

 Noise power Pnoise=2 mWP_{noise} = 2 \, mWPnoise=2mW
SNR calculation:

SNRdB=10log⁡10(PsignalPnoise)SNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}\right)SNRdB
=10log10(PnoisePsignal) SNRdB=10log⁡10(202)=10log⁡10(10)=10×1=10 dBSNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\
left(\frac{20}{2}\right) = 10 \log_{10}(10) = 10 \times 1 = 10 \, dBSNRdB=10log10(220)=10log10
(10)=10×1=10dB

Answer: 10 dB

Question 2:

Given:

 Signal power Psignal=50 μWP_{signal} = 50 \, \mu WPsignal=50μW

 Noise power Pnoise=5 μWP_{noise} = 5 \, \mu WPnoise=5μW

SNR calculation:

SNRdB=10log⁡10(PsignalPnoise)SNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}\right)SNRdB
=10log10(PnoisePsignal) SNRdB=10log⁡10(505)=10log⁡10(10)=10×1=10 dBSNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\
left(\frac{50}{5}\right) = 10 \log_{10}(10) = 10 \times 1 = 10 \, dBSNRdB=10log10(550)=10log10
(10)=10×1=10dB

Answer: 10 dB

Question 3:

Given:

 Signal power Psignal=1000 WP_{signal} = 1000 \, WPsignal=1000W

 Noise power Pnoise=50 WP_{noise} = 50 \, WPnoise=50W

SNR calculation:

SNRdB=10log⁡10(PsignalPnoise)SNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}\right)SNRdB
=10log10(PnoisePsignal) SNRdB=10log⁡10(100050)=10log⁡10(20)=10×1.301=13.01 dBSNR_{dB} = 10 \
log_{10}\left(\frac{1000}{50}\right) = 10 \log_{10}(20) = 10 \times 1.301 = 13.01 \, dBSNRdB=10log10
(501000)=10log10(20)=10×1.301=13.01dB

Answer: 13.01 dB

Question 4:
Given:

 SNR = 25 dB
 Noise power Pnoise=1 WP_{noise} = 1 \, WPnoise=1W

SNR calculation:

SNRdB=10log⁡10(PsignalPnoise)SNR_{dB} = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}}\right)SNRdB
=10log10(PnoisePsignal)

Rearranging:

PsignalPnoise=10SNRdB10=102510=102.5=316.23\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}} = 10^{\frac{SNR_{dB}}
{10}} = 10^{\frac{25}{10}} = 10^{2.5} = 316.23PnoisePsignal=1010SNRdB=101025=102.5=316.23
Psignal=Pnoise×316.23=1×316.23=316.23 WP_{signal} = P_{noise} \times 316.23 = 1 \times 316.23 =
316.23 \, WPsignal=Pnoise×316.23=1×316.23=316.23W

Answer: Psignal=316.23 WP_{signal} = 316.23 \, WPsignal=316.23W

Question 5:

Given:

 SNR = 40 dB
 Noise power Pnoise=0.01 WP_{noise} = 0.01 \, WPnoise=0.01W

SNR calculation:

PsignalPnoise=10SNRdB10=104010=104=10,000\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}} = 10^{\frac{SNR_{dB}}
{10}} = 10^{\frac{40}{10}} = 10^4 = 10,000PnoisePsignal=1010SNRdB=101040=104=10,000
Psignal=Pnoise×10,000=0.01×10,000=100 WP_{signal} = P_{noise} \times 10,000 = 0.01 \times
10,000 = 100 \, WPsignal=Pnoise×10,000=0.01×10,000=100W

Answer: Psignal=100 WP_{signal} = 100 \, WPsignal=100W

Question 6:

Given:

 Signal power Psignal=100 μWP_{signal} = 100 \, \mu WPsignal=100μW

 Noise power Pnoise=25 μWP_{noise} = 25 \, \mu WPnoise=25μW

SNR in linear scale:

SNR=PsignalPnoise=10025=4SNR = \frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}} = \frac{100}{25} = 4SNR=Pnoise
Psignal=25100=4

Answer: 4 (linear scale)

Question 7:

Given:

 SNR = 15 dB
 Noise power Pnoise=0.005 WP_{noise} = 0.005 \, WPnoise=0.005W

SNR calculation:

PsignalPnoise=10SNRdB10=101510=101.5=31.62\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}} = 10^{\frac{SNR_{dB}}
{10}} = 10^{\frac{15}{10}} = 10^{1.5} = 31.62PnoisePsignal=1010SNRdB=101015=101.5=31.62
Psignal=Pnoise×31.62=0.005×31.62=0.1581 WP_{signal} = P_{noise} \times 31.62 = 0.005 \times
31.62 = 0.1581 \, WPsignal=Pnoise×31.62=0.005×31.62=0.1581W

Answer: Psignal=0.1581 WP_{signal} = 0.1581 \, WPsignal=0.1581W

Question 8:

Given:

 SNR = 30 dB

SNR calculation:

PsignalPnoise=10SNRdB10=103010=103=1000\frac{P_{signal}}{P_{noise}} = 10^{\frac{SNR_{dB}}{10}}
= 10^{\frac{30}{10}} = 10^3 = 1000PnoisePsignal=1010SNRdB=101030=103=1000

Answer: SNR (linear) = 1000