Questions and Answers
Why are fibers used instead of metal wires in fiber-optic communications?
Fibers allow transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths
How are glass optical fibers typically made?
By drawing
In addition to fiber-optic communications, for what other purposes are optical fibers used?
Illumination and imaging
What advantage do optical fibers have over metal wires when it comes to signal transmission?
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What is a key problem from which metal wires suffer but fibers are immune to?
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Study Notes
Fiber-Optic Communications
- Fibers are used instead of metal wires due to their ability to transmit signals over long distances without significant degradation, allowing for faster and more reliable data transfer.
- Glass optical fibers are typically made by heating and stretching silica-based glass rods, which are then drawn into thin fibers.
Optical Fiber Applications
- Optical fibers are used in medical applications, such as endoscopy, and in sensing technologies, such as temperature and pressure sensors.
- They are also used in industrial applications, including distance measurement and vibration detection.
Signal Transmission Advantages
- Optical fibers have a higher bandwidth capacity than metal wires, allowing for faster data transfer rates.
- They are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference, reducing signal degradation and noise.
Metal Wire Limitations
- Metal wires suffer from signal attenuation, which is the gradual weakening of signal strength over distance, but optical fibers are immune to this issue.
- Metal wires are also prone to electromagnetic interference, which can disrupt signal transmission, but fibers are resistant to this problem.
