Logarithmic units and decibels

Power gain
Power gain, in decibels (dB), is defined by the 10 log rule as follows:

Where Pin and Pout are the input and output powers respectively. A similar calculation can be done using a natural logarithm instead of a decimal logarithm, and without the factor of 10, resulting in nepers instead of decibels:

Voltage gain
When power gain is calculated using voltage instead of power, making the substitution (P=V 2 /R), the formula is:

In many cases, the input and output impedances are equal, so the above equation can be simplified to:

And then the 20 log rule:

This simplified formula is used to calculate a voltage gain in decibels, and is equivalent to a power gain only if the impedances at input and output are equal.

Current gain
In the same way, when power gain is calculated using current instead of power, making the substitution (P = I 2 R), the formula is:

In many cases, the input and output impedances are equal, so the above equation can be simplified to:

And then:

This simplified formula is used to calculate a current gain in decibels, and is equivalent to the power gain only if the impedances at input and output are equal. The "current gain" of a bipolar transistor, h FE or h fe, is normally given as a dimensionless number, the ratio of Ic to Ib (or slope of the Ic-versus-Ib graph, for h fe). In the cases above, gain will be a dimensionless quantity, as it is the ratio of like units (Decibels are not used as units, but rather as a method of indicating a logarithmic relationship). In the bipolar transistor example it is the ratio of the output current to the input current, both measured in Amperes. In the case of other devices, the gain will have a value in SI units. Such is the case with the operational transconductance amplifier, which has an open-loop gain (transconductance) in Siemens (mhos), because the gain is a ratio of the output current to the input voltage.

Example
Q. An amplifier has an input impedance of 50 ohms and drives a load of 50 ohms. When its input ( ) is 1 volt, its output ( ) is 10 volts. What is its voltage and power gain?

A. Voltage gain is simply:

The units V/V are optional, but make it clear that this figure is a voltage gain and not a power gain. Using the expression for power, P = V2 /R, the power gain is:

Again, the units W/W are optional. Power gain is more usually expressed in decibels, thus:

A gain of factor 1 (equivalent to 0 dB) where both input and output are at the same voltage level and impedance is also known as unity gain.