What effect does adding an inverter to the output of an AND gate have?

Adding an inverter to the output of an AND gate effectively transforms it into a NAND gate. This occurs because an inverter flips the output state: when the AND gate produces a high output (logic '1') for its conditions being met, the inverter will output a low signal (logic '0'). Conversely, when the AND gate outputs a low signal (logic '0'), the inverter will produce a high output (logic '1'). This behavior matches the truth table of a NAND gate, where the output is low only when all inputs are high, and is high for all other input combinations.

This transformation between an AND gate and a NAND gate is a fundamental concept in digital electronics, showcasing how inverters can be utilized to create different logic gate functionalities without changing the physical structure of the components used. Thus, the correct understanding ties into the basic operation of these gates and their complementary behavior in digital circuits.