What is used to calculate the peak power and average power of a radar system?

The duty cycle is the correct choice for calculating the peak power and average power of a radar system. The duty cycle is defined as the ratio of the time the radar is transmitting a pulse to the total time of the pulse repetition interval (the time between the start of one pulse and the start of the next).

In radar systems, the peak power refers to the maximum power output of the radar during the transmission of a pulse, while the average power takes into account both the peak power and the duty cycle. By knowing the peak power and the duty cycle, one can determine the average power output as follows:

Average Power = Peak Power × Duty Cycle.

This relationship shows that the average power is directly influenced by how long the radar is actively transmitting compared to how long it is in its overall cycle. Therefore, understanding and calculating the duty cycle is essential for determining the operational effectiveness of a radar system in terms of its power output.

The other choices, while relevant to various aspects of radar systems, do not directly pertain to the calculation of peak and average power as the duty cycle does. For instance, pulse repetition frequency is related to how often pulses are transmitted but does not itself determine power levels. Operational frequency impacts the design and operation of