Live Quiz Arena
🎁 1 Free Round Daily
⚡ Enter ArenaQuestion
← ScienceWhich propagation delay occurs when a radio wave encounters significant atmospheric ionization?
A)Group velocity index increases sharply
B)Phase velocity is greatly reduced✓
C)Signal bandwidth will increase drastically
D)Refractive index approaches unity
💡 Explanation
Ionization affects radio wave velocity because the wave's electric field interacts with free electrons, causing the electrons to oscillate, resulting in a decrease in phase velocity, a form of wave dispersion. Therefore, phase velocity reduces, rather than refractive index changing, due to electron oscillations.
🏆 Up to £1,000 monthly prize pool
Ready for the live challenge? Join the next global round now.
*Terms apply. Skill-based competition.
Related Questions
Browse Science →- Which outcome occurs when a thermal reactor surpasses temperature limits?
- Which outcome arises as jet engine oil cools?
- Which mechanism causes spatial hole burning in lasers?
- Which consequence results when subsurface hydrogen concentration reaches a critical threshold in pipeline steel?
- Which deviation appears in gamma-ray transit times through spacetime proximity to a neutron star?
- Which outcome occurs when a high-voltage electrical discharge passes through titanium dioxide nanoparticles suspended in a sodium chloride solution?