BasicB-005-007-006
What happens to a signal's wavelength as its frequency increases?
C
Answer
Transmitters, receivers, and measurements
Type
A
It decreases proportionally to frequency squared
B
It increases
C
It decreases
D
It increases proportionally to frequency squared
Answer Notes
Radio waves always travel at a constant speed, which is the speed of light. Because of this constant speed, a signal's frequency (how many cycles occur per second) and its wavelength (the physical length of one cycle) are inversely proportional.
If you increase the frequency, more cycles are squeezed into the same amount of time. To fit more cycles into that same time frame while traveling at the same speed, each individual cycle must physically become shorter. Therefore, the wavelength decreases.
The options suggesting a 'squared' relationship are mathematically incorrect; the relationship is a simple linear inverse fraction (Wavelength = Speed of Light / Frequency).
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What happens to a signal's frequency as its wavelength gets shorter?