What effect does increased sampling rate have on data acquisition?

Increased sampling rate plays a crucial role in data acquisition by capturing more data points over a given period of time. This leads to an improved representation of the signal and allows for finer details to be observed in the captured data. Essentially, a higher sampling rate means that the system is recording more instances of the signal, which can reveal sudden changes, rapid fluctuations, or intricate characteristics that would otherwise be missed with a lower sampling rate.

This principle is rooted in the Nyquist theorem, which states that to accurately reconstruct a signal, it must be sampled at least twice the highest frequency of interest. By sampling at a higher rate, you ensure that the fidelity of the signal is maintained, thereby enhancing resolution in the time domain and preventing aliasing—where higher frequency components are misrepresented in the acquired data.

In contrast, lower sampling rates may lead to a loss of detail and an increase in the potential for distortion, as faster changes in the signal may not be captured adequately.