What term describes the reduction in power of a signal as it travels through a communication system?

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Multiple Choice

What term describes the reduction in power of a signal as it travels through a communication system?

System attenuation is the reduction in power of a signal as it travels through a communication system. As the signal moves through cables, connectors, or the air, various factors—resistance, scattering, absorption, and radiation—cause energy loss. This loss accumulates with distance and often depends on frequency, and it is commonly expressed in decibels. This concept is distinct from signal-to-noise ratio, which compares signal power to noise power rather than the overall loss of the signal. Pulse Code Modulation encodes analog samples into a digital stream, not the amount of power loss, and Full-Duplex describes simultaneous two-way transmission, not attenuation. Therefore, the term that describes the reduction in power is system attenuation.

System attenuation is the reduction in power of a signal as it travels through a communication system. As the signal moves through cables, connectors, or the air, various factors—resistance, scattering, absorption, and radiation—cause energy loss. This loss accumulates with distance and often depends on frequency, and it is commonly expressed in decibels. This concept is distinct from signal-to-noise ratio, which compares signal power to noise power rather than the overall loss of the signal. Pulse Code Modulation encodes analog samples into a digital stream, not the amount of power loss, and Full-Duplex describes simultaneous two-way transmission, not attenuation. Therefore, the term that describes the reduction in power is system attenuation.

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