Transmission Lines and Wave Propagation

Flashcards covering key concepts related to transmission lines, wave propagation, and wave phenomena.

Transient waves

Waves caused by a sudden disturbance.

Continuous periodic waves

Waves generated by a repetitive source.

Lossless medium

A medium that does not attenuate the amplitude of waves traveling in it.

Wave velocity

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.

Phase velocity

The velocity at which a phase of the wave propagates in space.

Sinusoidal wave

A wave that can be described by a sine or cosine function.

Frequency (f)

The number of cycles of a wave that occur in a unit of time, measured in Hertz (Hz).

Time period (T)

The duration of one complete cycle of a wave.

Phase lead

When a wave is ahead of the reference wave in time.

Phase lag

When a wave is behind the reference wave in time.

Characteristic impedance (Zo)

The impedance that propagates a wave along a transmission line.

Dispersion

The phenomenon where different frequencies propagate at different velocities, causing distortion.

Coaxial cable

A type of electrical cable with an inner conductor surrounded by a concentric conducting shield.

Transmission line equations

Mathematical expressions governing the behavior of voltages and currents in transmission lines.

Attenuation factor

A measure of how much the amplitude of a wave diminishes as it travels through a medium.

Angular velocity (ω)

The rate of change of the phase of a sinusoidal wave with respect to time.

Wavenumber (β)

A measure of the number of wavelengths per unit distance.