A pulse is short if each cycle in the pulse has a _____ wavelength.

A pulse is short if each cycle in the pulse has a _____ wavelength.

• A. Long
• B. Short
• C. Medium
• D. Variable

Answer: (B)

A pulse lasts a short time when the cycles that make it up happen quickly. Wavelength is tied to frequency by f = v/λ, so a short wavelength means a high frequency and a short period (T = 1/f). If each cycle completes in a short time, the whole burst of cycles fits into a brief moment, making the pulse short in duration. If the wavelength were long, the cycles would take longer to complete, yielding a longer pulse. A medium or variable wavelength wouldn’t inherently produce a short pulse.

A pulse lasts a short time when the cycles that make it up happen quickly. Wavelength is tied to frequency by f = v/λ, so a short wavelength means a high frequency and a short period (T = 1/f). If each cycle completes in a short time, the whole burst of cycles fits into a brief moment, making the pulse short in duration. If the wavelength were long, the cycles would take longer to complete, yielding a longer pulse. A medium or variable wavelength wouldn’t inherently produce a short pulse.