Chapter 14: Transmission Lines

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. SWR stands for:
a. Shorted Wave Radiation
b. Sine Wave Response

c. Shorted Wire Region

d. none of the above

ANS: D
2. TDR stands for:
a. Total Distance of Reflection
b. Time-Domain Reflectometer

c. Time-Domain Response
d. Transmission Delay Ratio

ANS: B
3. An example of an unbalanced line is:
a. a coaxial cable
b. 300-ohm twin-lead TV cable

c. an open-wire-line cable
d. all of the above

ANS: A
4. When analyzing a transmission line, its inductance and capacitance are considered to be:
a. lumped
c. equal reactances
b. distributed
d. ideal elements
ANS: B
5. As frequency increases, the resistance of a wire:
a. increases
c. stays the same
b. decreases
d. changes periodically
ANS: A
6. The effect of frequency on the resistance of a wire is called:
2
a. I R loss
c. the skin effect
b. the Ohmic effect
d. there is no such effect
ANS: C
7. As frequency increases, the loss in a cable's dielectric:
a. increases
c. stays the same
b. decreases
d. there is no loss in a dielectric
ANS: A
8. The characteristic impedance of a
cable depends on:
a. the resistance per foot of the
wire used
b. the resistance per foot and the
inductance per foot

c. the resistance per foot and the

capacitance per foot
d. the inductance per foot and the
capacitance per foot
ANS: D
9. For best matching, the load on a cable should be:
a. lower than Z0
c. equal to Z0
b. higher than Z0
ANS: C
10. The characteristic impedance of a cable:
a. increases with length
b. increases with frequency

d. 50 ohms

c. increases with voltage

d. none of the above

ANS: D
11. The velocity factor of a cable depends mostly on:
a. the wire resistance
c. the inductance per foot
b. the dielectric constant
d. all of the above
ANS: B
12. A positive voltage pulse sent down
a transmission line terminated in a
short-circuit:
a. would reflect as a positive
pulse
b. would reflect as a negative
pulse
c. would reflect as a positive
pulse followed by a negative
pulse
d. would not reflect at all
ANS: B
13. A positive voltage pulse sent down
a transmission line terminated with
its characteristic impedance:
a. would reflect as a positive
pulse
b. would reflect as a negative
pulse
c. would reflect as a positive
pulse followed by a negative
pulse
d. would not reflect at all
ANS: D

14. A positive voltage-pulse sent down

a transmission line terminated in
an open-circuit:
a. would reflect as a positive
pulse
b. would reflect as a negative
pulse
c. would reflect as a positive
pulse followed by a negative
pulse
d. would not reflect at all
ANS: A
15. The optimum value for SWR is:
a. zero
b. one

c. as large as possible
d. there is no optimum value

ANS: B
16. A non-optimum value for SWR will cause:
a. standing waves
b. loss of power to load

c. higher voltage peaks on cable

d. all of the above

ANS: D
17. VSWR stands for:
a. variable SWR
b. vacuum SWR

c. voltage SWR
d. none of the above

ANS: C
18. The impedance "looking into" a c. is
the
characteristic
matched line:
impedance
a. is infinite
d. 50 ohms
b. is zero
ANS: C
19. A Smith Chart is used to
calculate:
a. transmission
line
impedances
b. propagation velocity

c.

optimum length of
transmission line
d. transmission line losses

ANS: A
20. Compared to a 300-ohm line, the loss of a 50-ohm cable carrying the same power:
a. would be less
c. would be the same
b. would be more
d. cannot be compared
ANS: B
21. A balanced load can be connected to an unbalanced cable:
a. directly
c. by using a "balun"
b. by using a filter
d. cannot be connected
ANS: C
22. On a Smith Chart, you "normalize" the impedance by:
a. assuming it to be zero
c. multiplying it by 2
b. dividing it by 2

d. dividing it by Z0

ANS: D
23. The radius of the circle you draw on a Smith Chart represents:
a. the voltage
c. the impedance
b. the current
d. none of the above
ANS: D
24. The center of the Smith Chart always represents:
a. zero
c. the characteristic impedance
b. one
d. none of the above
ANS: C

25. A TDR is commonly used to:

a. measure the characteristic impedance of a cable
b. find the position of a defect in a cable

c. replace a slotted-line
d. all of the above
ANS: B
COMPLETION
1. A

cable

that

lacks

symmetry

with

respect

to

ground

is

called

____________________. ANS: unbalanced

2. Parallel lines are usually operated as ____________________ lines since both wires are symmetrical with
respect to ground.
ANS: balanced
3. Normally, a transmission line is terminated with a load equal to its ____________________
impedance. ANS: characteristic
4. Twisted-pair cables are transmission lines for relatively ____________________
frequencies. ANS: low
5. To analyze a transmission line, it is necessary to use ____________________ parameters
instead of lumped ones.
ANS: distributed
6. The increase of a wire's resistance with frequency is called the ____________________
effect. ANS: skin
7. The increase of a wire's resistance with frequency is caused by the ____________________ field
inside the wire.
ANS: magnetic
8. Dielectrics become more ____________________ as the frequency
increases. ANS: lossy
9. The

inductance

and

capacitance

of

cable

are

given

per

unit

____________________. ANS: length

10. Characteristic impedance is sometimes called ____________________
impedance. ANS: surge

11. A cable that is terminated in its characteristic impedance is called a ____________________

line. ANS: matched
12. A pulse sent down a cable terminated in a short-circuit will reflect with the ____________________
polarity.
ANS: opposite
13. The apparently stationary pattern of waves on a mismatched cable is called a ____________________
wave.
ANS: standing
14. SWR stands for ____________________-wave
ratio. ANS: standing
15. The

ideal

value

for

SWR

is

____________________. ANS: one

16. Transmission line impedances can be found using a ____________________
chart. ANS: Smith
17. Short transmission-line sections called ____________________ can be used as capacitors or
inductors. ANS: stubs
18. Any cable that radiates energy can also ____________________
energy. ANS: absorb
19. A ____________________-dB loss in a cable means only half the power sent reaches the
load. ANS: 3
20. It is often best to measure SWR at the ____________________ end of a
cable. ANS: load
21. Besides heat from I2R, the power a cable can carry is limited by the ____________________ voltage
of its dielectric.
ANS: breakdown
22. To

normalize

an

impedance

____________________. ANS: Z0

on

Smith

Chart,

you

divide

it

by

23. The ____________________ of a Smith Chart always represents the characteristic

impedance. ANS: center
24. A ____________________ wavelength transmission line can be used a
transformer. ANS: one-quarter
25. A slotted line is used to make measurements in the ____________________
domain. ANS: frequency
SHORT ANSWER
1. A transmission line has 2.5 pF of capacitance per foot and 100 nH of inductance per foot. Calculate
its characteristic impedance.
ANS:
Z0 = 200 ohms
2. Two wires with air as a dielectric are one inch apart. The diameter of the wire is .04 inch.
Calculate, approximately, its characteristic impedance.
ANS: 386
ohms

3. If a coaxial cable uses plastic insulation with a dielectric constant r = 2.6 , what is the velocity factor
for the cable?
ANS:
0.62
4. If a cable has a velocity factor of 0.8, how long would it take a signal to travel 3000 kilometers along
the cable?
ANS:
12.5

ms

5. If a cable has a velocity factor of 0.8, what length of cable is required for a 90 phase shift at 100
MHz? ANS:
0.6 meters
6. A cable has a VSWR of 10. If the minimum voltage along the cable is 20 volts, what is the
maximum voltage along the cable?
ANS:
200 volts

7. A lossless line has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, but is terminated with a 75-ohm resistive
load. What SWR do you expect to measure?
ANS:
1.5
8. If a cable has an SWR of 1.5, what will be the absolute value of its voltage coefficient of reflection?
ANS:
0.2
9. A generator matched to a line with a voltage coefficient of reflection equal to 0.2 transmits 100 watts into
the line. How much power is actually absorbed by the load?
ANS:
96 watts
10. Using a Smith Chart to analyze a 50-ohm cable, what would be the normalized value of an
impedance equal to 200 + j50 ohms?
ANS:
4 + j1

Chapter 15: Radio-Wave Propagation

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.

Radio waves were first predicted mathematically by:

a. Armstrong
c. Maxwell
b. Hertz
d. Marconi
ANS: C

2.

Radio waves were first demonstrated experimentally by:

a. Armstrong
c. Maxwell
b. Hertz
d. Marconi
ANS: B

3.

The technology that made cell phones practical was:

a. the microprocessor chip
c. high-power microwave transmitters
b. the miniature cell-site
d. all of the above
ANS: A

4.

Cell phones reduce much of the problems of mobile communications with:

a. high power levels
c. reuse of frequencies
b. high antennas
d. all of the above
ANS: C

5.

Which of the following are electromagnetic:

a. radio waves
b. light

c. gamma waves
d. all of the above

ANS: D
6.

The electric and magnetic fields of a radio wave are:

a. perpendicular to each other
c. both a and b
b. perpendicular to the direction of travel
d. none of the above
ANS: C

7.

TEM stands for:

a. Transverse Electromagnetic
b. Transmitted Electromagnetic

c. True Electromagnetic
d. none of the above

ANS: A
8.

In free space, radio waves travel at a speed of:

6
6
a. 3 10 meters per second
c. 3 10 miles per second
6
b. 300 10 meters per second

ANS: B

6
d. 300 10 miles per second

9. Which is a possible polarization for an electromagnetic wave:

a. vertical
c. circular
b. horizontal
d. all of the above
ANS: D
10. Which polarization can be reasonably well received by a circularly polarized antenna:
a. vertical
c. circular
b. horizontal
d. all of the above
ANS: D
11. The number of circular polarization modes (directions) is:
a. 1
c. 3
b. 2
d. many
ANS: B
12. An antenna has "gain" as compared to:
a. an isotropic radiator
b. a vertically polarized radiator

c. a ground-wave antenna
d. none of the above

ANS: A
13. EIRP stands for:
a. the E and I fields of the Radiated Power
b. the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power
c. the Effective Internal Reflected Power
d. the Electric-field Intensity of the Radiated
Power ANS: B
14. The "attenuation of free space" is due to:
a. losses in the characteristic impedance of free space
b. losses due to absorption in the upper atmosphere
c. the decrease in energy per square meter due to expansion of the wavefront
d. the decrease in energy per square meter due to absorption of the wavefront
ANS: C
15. Ground waves are most effective:
a. below about 2 MHz
b. above about 20 MHz

c. at microwave frequencies
d. when using horizontally polarized waves

ANS: A
16. Radio waves would most strongly reflect off:
a. a flat insulating surface of the right size
b. a flat dielectric surface of the right size

c. a flat metallic surface of the right size

d. a flat body of water

ANS: C
17. Radio waves sometimes "bend" around a corner because of: a. reflection c. refraction

b. diffusion

d. diffraction

ANS: D
18. Space waves are:
a. line-of-sight
b. reflected off the ionosphere
c. same as sky waves
d. radio waves used for satellite communications
ANS: A
19. Sky waves:
a. are line-of-sight
b. "bounce" off the ionosphere
c. are same as space waves
d. are radio waves used for satellite communications
ANS: B
20. Sky waves cannot be
"heard":
a. close
to
the
transmitter
b. far
from
the
transmitter

c. in the "silent"
zone
d. in the "skip"
zone

ANS: D
21. A 20-dB reduction in the strength of a radio wave due to reflection is called:
a. fading
c. frequency diversity
b. diffraction
d. spatial diversity
ANS: A
22. "Ghosts" on a TV screen are an example of:
a. fading
b. diffraction

c. multipath distortion
d. cancellation due to reflection

ANS: C
23. A "repeater" is used to:
a. send a message multiple times over a channel
b. send a message over multiple channels at the same time
c. extend the range of a radio communications system
d. cancel the effects of fading
ANS: C
24. Cellular phone systems rely on:
a. high power
b. repeaters

c. the radio horizon

d. the reuse of frequencies

ANS: D
25. If the number of cell-phone users within a cell increases above some limit:
a. the cell area is increased
c. the power levels are increased

b. the cell area is split

d. the number of channels is reduced

ANS: B
26. As a cell-phone user passes from one cell to another:
a. a "handoff" process occurs
c. both cells will handle the call
b. a "sectoring" process occurs
d. nothing occurs
ANS: A
27. To receive several data streams at once, a CDMA spread-spectrum system uses:
a. a "funnel" receiver
c. multiple receivers
b. a "rake" receiver
d. none of the above
ANS: B
28. The troposphere is the:
a. highest layer of the atmosphere
b. middle layer of the atmosphere

c. lowest layer of the atmosphere

d. the most ionized layer of the atmosphere

ANS: C
29. Meteor-trail propagation is:
a. used for radio telephony
b. used to send data by radio

c. also called "ducting"

d. not possible

ANS: B
COMPLETION
1. Radio

waves

were

mathematically

predicted

by

____________________. ANS: Maxwell

2. Radio

waves

were

first

demonstrated

by

____________________. ANS: Hertz

3. Radio waves are ____________________ electromagnetic
waves. ANS: transverse
4. The propagation speed of radio waves in free space is ____________________
m/sec. ANS: 300 106
5. Electromagnetic

radiation

can

be

thought

of

as

stream

of

particles

called

____________________. ANS: photons

6. Unlike sound or water waves, radio waves do not need a ____________________ to travel through.

ANS: medium
7. The dielectric strength of clean dry air is about ____________________ volts per
meter. ANS: 3 106
8. Waves from an ____________________ source radiate equally in all
directions. ANS: isotropic
9. The

wavefront

of

point

source

would

have

the

shape

of

____________________. ANS: sphere

10. At a far distance from the source, a radio wavefront looks like a flat ____________________wave. ANS: plane
11. The polarization of a radio wave is the direction of its ____________________
field. ANS: electric
12. The electric field of a radio wave is ____________________ to its magnetic
field. ANS: perpendicular
13. Both the electric and magnetic fields of a radio wave are ____________________ to its
propagation direction.
ANS: perpendicular
14. With ____________________ polarization, the direction of a radio wave's electric field rotates
as it travels through space.
ANS: circular
15. An antenna is said to have ____________________ in a certain direction if it radiates more power in that
direction than in other directions.
ANS: gain
16. The watts per square meter of a radio wave ____________________ as the wave-front moves
through space.
ANS: decrease
17. Reflection of plane-waves from a smooth surface is called ____________________
reflection. ANS: specular

18. ____________________ is the "bending" of radio waves as they travel across the boundary between
two different dielectrics.
ANS: Refraction
19. The process of ____________________ makes radio waves appear to "bend around a
corner". ANS: diffraction
20. ____________________ waves travel from transmitter to receiver in a "line-of-sight"
fashion. ANS: Space
21. ____________________ waves are vertically polarized radio waves that travel along the earth's
surface. ANS: Ground
22. ____________________ waves are radio waves that "bounce off" the ionosphere due to
refraction. ANS: Sky
23. The ____________________ zone is a region where sky waves cannot be
received. ANS: skip
24. "Ghosts" on a TV screen are an example of ____________________
distortion. ANS: multipath
25. The "fast fading" seen in mobile communications is caused by ____________________ waves interfering
with direct waves.
ANS: reflected
26. Cell phones typically operate at a ____________________ power
level. ANS: low
27. The ____________________ of frequencies allows many cell-phone users to share a geographical
area. ANS: reuse
28. ____________________ is when a cell-site uses three directional antennas, each covering a third of
the cell area, to reduce interference.
ANS: Sectoring
29. The use of ____________________ chips makes cell phones a practical
technology. ANS: microprocessor

SHORT ANSWER
1. A certain dielectric has permittivity of 6.3 1010 F/m and the same permeability as free space.
What is the characteristic impedance of that dielectric?
ANS:
45 ohms
2. If a point source of radio waves transmits 1 watt, what is the power density 10,000 meters from
the source?
ANS:
796 pW/m2
3. What power must a point-source of radio waves transmit so that the power density at 3000 meters
from the source is 1 W/m2?
ANS:
113 watts
4. If a radio receiver needs 1 nW/m 2 of power density to function, how far away from a 1-watt point
source will it continue to work?
ANS:
8.9 km
5. A line-of-sight radio link over flat terrain needs to use antenna towers 50 km apart. What, approximately,
is the minimum height for the towers assuming all the towers are the same?
ANS:
37 meters
6. A mobile radio is being used at 1 GHz in an urban environment with lots of reflecting structures. If
the car is traveling 36 km/hour, what is the expected time between fades?
ANS:
15 msec

Chapter 16: Antenna

MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The real part of an antenna's input impedance is due to:
a. the radiated signal
c. the SWR
b. the reflected signal
d. all of the above
ANS: A
2. A half-wave dipole is sometimes called:
a. a Marconi antenna
b. a Hertz antenna

c. a Yagi antenna
d. none of the above

ANS: B
3. The end-to-end length of a half-wave dipole antenna is actually:
a. one wavelength
c. slightly longer than a half-wavelength
b. one half-wavelength
d. slightly shorter than a half-wavelength
ANS: D
4. The radiation of energy from an antenna can be seen in the:
a. standing wave pattern around the antenna c. radiation resistance of the antenna
b. SWR along the feed cable

2
d. I R loss of the antenna

ANS: C
5. Measured on the ground, the field strength of a horizontally polarized half-wave dipole antenna is
strongest:
a. in one direction
c. in all directions
b. in two directions
d. depends on the number of elements
ANS: B
6. The ability of an antenna to radiate more energy in one direction than in other directions is called:
a. directivity
c. active antenna
b. selectivity
d. resonance
ANS: A
7. The front-to-back ratio of a half-wave dipole antenna is:
a. 0 dB
c. 10 dB
b. 3 dB
d. infinite
ANS: A
8. An antenna's beamwidth is measured:
a. from +90 to 90
b. from front to back

c. between half-power points

d. between the minor side-lobes

ANS: C
9. ERP stands for:
a. Equivalent Radiation Pattern
b. Effective Radiation Pattern

c. Equivalent Radiated Power

d. Effective Radiated Power

ANS: D
10. "Ground Effects" refers to the effects on an antenna's radiation pattern caused by:
a. radio signals reflecting off the ground
b. buildings and other structures on the ground
c. fading
d. faulty connection of the feed cable ground
ANS: A
11. A 1-MHz monopole antenna must be:
a. mounted vertically
b. mounted horizontally

c. at least one half-wavelength long

d. at least one wavelength long

ANS: A
12. The typical antenna in an AM radio is a:
a. dipole
b. folded dipole

c. ferrite "loop-stick"
d. none of the above

ANS: C
13. The polarization of plane waves received from a satellite is changed by:
a. gamma rays
c. helical rotation
b. Faraday Rotation
d. the distance traveled
ANS: B
14. A nonresonant antenna:
a. will not transmit
b. will not receive

c. will cause SWR on the feed cable

d. all of the above

ANS: C
15. At resonance, the input impedance to a lossless antenna should be:
a. resistive
c. capacitive
b. inductive
d. infinite
ANS: A
16. An antenna can be matched to a feed line using:
a. a shorted stub
c. an LC network
b. a loading coil
d. all of the above
ANS: D
17. As the length of a "long-wire" antenna is increased:
a. the number of lobes increases
c. efficiency decreases

b. the number of nodes decreases

d. none of the above

ANS: A
18. Arrays can be:
a. phased
b. driven

c. parasitic
d. all of the above

ANS: D
19. An array with one driven element, a reflector, and one or more directors is called a:
a. Marconi
c. Log-Periodic Dipole
b. Yagi
d. stacked array
ANS: B
20. LPDA stands for:
a. Low-Power Dipole Array
b. Low-Power Directed Array

c. Log-Periodic Dipole Array

d. Log Power Dipole Array

ANS: C
21. The radiated beam from a parabolic "dish" transmitting antenna is:
a. collimated
c. dispersed
b. phased
d. none of the above
ANS: A
22. The energy picked up by a parabolic antenna is concentrated at the:
a. center
c. focus
b. edges
d. horn
ANS: C
23. Antennas are often tested in:
a. an echo chamber
b. an anechoic chamber

c. a vacuum chamber
d. an RF reflective chamber

ANS: B
24. Field strength at a distance from an antenna is measured with:
a. a slotted line
c. an EIRP meter
b. a dipole
d. a field-strength meter
ANS: D
COMPLETION
1. An

antenna

is

the

interface

between

the

transmission

____________________. ANS: space

2. Hertz antenna is another name for a half-wave ____________________.

line

and

ANS: dipole
3. The length of a half-wave dipole is about ____________________ % of a half-wave in free
space. ANS: 95
4. The ____________________ resistance is the portion of an antenna's input impedance due to
transmitted radio waves leaving the antenna.
ANS: radiation
5. Input impedance at the center feed point of a resonant half-wave dipole is about ____________________

ANS: 70
6. Input impedance at the center feed point of a resonant folded dipole is about ____________________
ANS: 280 300
7. The

vertical

angle

of

radiation

is

called

the

angle

of

____________________. ANS: elevation

8. Antenna radiation patterns are typically drawn on graphs with ____________________
coordinates. ANS: polar
9. As compared to a ____________________ source, a half-wave dipole has a gain of about 2 dBi.
ANS:
point
isotropic
10. Antenna gain measured in ____________________ is with reference to a half-wave
dipole. ANS: dBd
11. ____________________ is the same as the gain for a lossless
antenna. ANS: Directivity
12. The front-to-back ratio of a half-wave dipole is ____________________
dB. ANS: 0
13. The ____________________ of a directional antenna is the angle between its half-power
points. ANS: beamwidth

14. ERP stands for ____________________ radiated

power. ANS: effective
15. ERP

is

the

power

input

to

the

antenna

multiplied

by

the

antenna's

____________________. ANS: gain

16. A ____________________ is required to connect a coaxial cable to a center-fed dipole
antenna. ANS: balun
17. A horizontally mounted dipole will radiate waves with ____________________
polarization. ANS: horizontal
18. A folded dipole has ____________________ bandwidth than a standard dipole.
ANS:
wider
greater
more
19. A monopole antenna is typically mounted in the ____________________
direction. ANS: vertical
20. The length of a typical monopole antenna is ____________________ wavelength.
ANS: onequarter 1/4
21. A monopole antenna mounted high on a tower typically uses a ____________________
plane. ANS: ground
22. A vertical antenna has an _________________________ radiation pattern for ground-based receivers.
ANS: omnidirectional
23. The

number

of

driven

elements

in

Yagi

antenna

is

____________________. ANS: one

24. The reflector on a Yagi antenna is called a ____________________
element. ANS: parasitic
25. An LPDA is a ____________________ dipole array.

typically

ANS: log-periodic
26. If an LPDA had five elements, the number of driven elements it had would be
____________________. ANS: five
27. All the waves that hit the surface of a parabolic antenna merge at the
____________________. ANS: focus
28. A ____________________ beam has all its individual rays parallel to each
other. ANS: collimated
29. A microwave ____________________ antenna is essentially an extension of a
waveguide. ANS: horn
30. An ____________________ chamber is often used to test microwave
antennas. ANS: anechoic
SHORT ANSWER
1. Calculate the physical length of a half-wave dipole for use at 300 MHz.
ANS:
475 millimeters
2. How much power will a 95% efficient antenna radiate if driven with 100 watts?
ANS:
95 watts
3. If an antenna has 10.14 dB of gain compared to a point source, how much gain does it have compared to
a half-wave dipole?
ANS:
8 dB

4. What is the ERP of an antenna with 10 dBd of gain and driven by one watt?
ANS:
10 watts
5. A resonant antenna has an input impedance of 100 ohms and is driven by 100 watts. What is the
RMS current in the antenna?
ANS:
1 ampere

6. A resonant antenna has an input impedance of 100 ohms and is driven by 100 watts. What is the RMS
voltage at the feed-point of the antenna?
ANS:
100 volts