Which statement best describes the effect of a higher noise figure on receiver performance?

• A. Higher noise figure indicates better noise performance
• B. Higher noise figure means worse sensitivity and higher overall noise
• C. Noise figure has no impact on receiver performance
• D. Noise figure is the same as bandwidth

Answer: (B)

Noise figure tells you how much noise the receiver itself adds to the signal as it passes through the front end. A higher noise figure means more of the input signal’s useful information is spoiled by internally generated noise, so the signal-to-noise ratio after the receiver is worse than the SNR at the input.

Because achieving a target performance (like a certain bit error rate or readability) depends on having a minimum output SNR, degrading the SNR with a higher NF forces you to rely on a stronger input signal to reach that target. In short, a higher NF raises the noise floor and lowers sensitivity, reducing the ability to detect weak signals and shrinking link efficiency.

The other statements don’t fit because NF is not a measure of bandwidth, it isn’t a sign of better noise performance, and it does impact receiver performance.