Unit 1: C2 Waves in Communication

Question 1

What is the refractive index of a material?

Answer 1

Question 2

What is total internal reflection in fibre optics?

Answer 2

Total internal reflection occurs when light traveling from a denser to a less dense medium hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle, reflecting back into the denser medium.

Question 3

How is the critical angle calculated at a glass–air interface?

Answer 3

The critical angle 𝑐 is calculated using the formula:
sin 𝑐 =1/𝑛
where 𝑛 is the refractive index of the glass.

Question 4

What is an application of fibre optics in medicine?

Answer 4

Fibre optics are used in endoscopes to view internal organs non-invasively, transmitting light and images through flexible fibres.

Question 5

How are fibre optics used in communication?

Answer 5

Fibre optics transmit data using light signals, enabling high-speed broadband and digital communication with minimal signal loss.

Question 6

What is the difference between analogue and digital signals?

Answer 6

Analogue signals vary continuously, while digital signals use discrete values (0s and 1s), allowing for more reliable data transmission.

Question 7

What is analogue-to-digital conversion?

Answer 7

It is the process of converting continuous analogue signals into discrete digital signals for use in modern communication systems.