Why do wagon wheels spin backward in films? Sample a signal below the Nyquist rate and a high frequency disguises itself as a low one — the trap of aliasing.
Sampling & AliasingLive
the Nyquist theorem
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To capture a signal faithfully you must sample above twice its highest frequency — the Nyquist rate. Sample too slowly and a high frequency masquerades as a lower one: aliasing. Push the signal frequency above half the sample rate and watch the reconstructed wave collapse to a false, slower tone.
Reading this result: Sampling at 20 Hz puts the Nyquist limit at 10.0 Hz. The 3 Hz signal sits below that, so it is captured faithfully and reconstructs at its true frequency.
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How it works
The Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem says you must sample above twice a signal's highest frequency to reconstruct it faithfully. Sample too slowly and the reconstructed waveform folds down to a false, lower frequency — aliasing. Push the signal past half the sample rate here to watch the cyan reconstruction collapse. The foundation of all digital audio and imaging.
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