A public address (PA) system enables ___ communication.

A public address (PA) system enables ___ communication.

• A. two-way
• B. one-way
• C. broadcast only
• D. interactive

Answer: (B)

A public address system is designed to deliver information from a single source to a large audience in a space, so the communication flow is from the speaker to many listeners with little or no opportunity for immediate feedback. That makes it one-way communication—the message is broadcast to everyone, not exchanged back and forth. If you needed a back-and-forth exchange, you’d be looking at a two-way or interactive setup (like an intercom or two-way radio), which goes beyond what a typical PA system provides. While it does broadcast information to a crowd, the defining feature is the lack of required or expected responses, which is why one-way is the best fit.

A public address system is designed to deliver information from a single source to a large audience in a space, so the communication flow is from the speaker to many listeners with little or no opportunity for immediate feedback. That makes it one-way communication—the message is broadcast to everyone, not exchanged back and forth. If you needed a back-and-forth exchange, you’d be looking at a two-way or interactive setup (like an intercom or two-way radio), which goes beyond what a typical PA system provides. While it does broadcast information to a crowd, the defining feature is the lack of required or expected responses, which is why one-way is the best fit.