Damping reduces which two quantities?

Damping reduces which two quantities?

• A. Pulse duration
• B. Spatial pulse length
• C. Both pulse duration and spatial pulse length
• D. Frame rate

Answer: (C)

Damping means the pulse loses energy as it travels, causing the waveform to fade in time. That decay shortens the time window of the pulse, so the pulse duration decreases. In a non-dispersive medium, the spatial pulse length is the distance the pulse occupies, which is the pulse duration multiplied by the wave speed; with a shorter duration, the pulse travels a shorter distance before fading, so the spatial pulse length also decreases. Frame rate is a system timing or sampling issue and isn’t dictated by damping, so it isn’t reduced by damping. So damping shortens both the pulse duration and the spatial pulse length.

Damping means the pulse loses energy as it travels, causing the waveform to fade in time. That decay shortens the time window of the pulse, so the pulse duration decreases. In a non-dispersive medium, the spatial pulse length is the distance the pulse occupies, which is the pulse duration multiplied by the wave speed; with a shorter duration, the pulse travels a shorter distance before fading, so the spatial pulse length also decreases. Frame rate is a system timing or sampling issue and isn’t dictated by damping, so it isn’t reduced by damping. So damping shortens both the pulse duration and the spatial pulse length.