Review Questions and Tutorials
Waveguides
1 What are guided waves? Give examples
The electromagnetic waves that are guided along or over conducting or dielectric surface are called
guided waves.
Examples: Parallel wire, transmission lines
2 What is TE wave or H wave?
Transverse electric (TE) wave is a wave in which the electric field strength E is entirely transverse.
It has a magnetic field strength Hz in the direction of propagation and no component of electric
field Ez in the same direction
3 What is TH wave or E wave?
Transverse magnetic (TM) wave is a wave in which the magnetic field strength H is entirely
transverse. It has a electric field strength Ez in the direction of propagation and no component of
magnetic field Hz in the same direction
4 What is a TEM wave or principal wave?
TEM wave is a special type of TM wave in which an electric field E along the direction of
propagation is also zero. The TEM waves are waves in which both electric and magnetic fields are
transverse entirely but have no components of Ez and Hz. it is also referred to as the principal
wave.
5 What is a dominant mode?
The modes that have the lowest cut off frequency is called the dominant mode.
6 Give the dominant mode for TE and TM waves
Dominant mode: TE10 and TM10
7 What is cut off frequency?
The frequency at which the wave motion ceases is called cut-off frequency of the waveguide.
8 What is cut-off wavelength?
It is the wavelength below which there is wave propagation and above which there is no wave
propagation.
9 Write down the expression for cut off frequency when the wave is propagated in between
two parallel plates.
The cut-off frequency, fc = m/ (2a (µE)1/2)
10 Mention the characteristics of TEM waves.
a) It doesn’t have either e or H component
b) Its velocity is independent of frequency
c)Its cut-off frequency is zero.
11 Define attenuation factor
Attenuation factor = (Power lost/ unit length)/(2 x power transmitted)
12 Give the relation between the attenuation factor for TE waves and TM waves
- aTE = aTM (fc/f)2
13 Define wave impedance
Wave impedance is defined as the ratio of electric to magnetic field strength Zxy= Ex/ Hy in the
positive direction
Zxy= -Ex/ Hy in the negative direction
14 What is a parallel plate wave guide?
Parallel plate wave guide consists of two conducting sheets separated by a dielectric material.
15 Why are rectangular wave-guides preferred over circular wave-guides?
Rectangular wave-guides preferred over circular wave guides because of the following reasons.
a) rectangular wave guide is smaller in size than a circular wave guide of the same operating
frequency
b) It does not maintain its polarization through the circular wave guide
c) The frequency difference between the lowest frequency on dominant mode and the next mode
of a rectangular wave-guide is bigger than in a circular wave guide.
16 Mention the applications of wave guides
The wave guides are employed for transmission of energy at very high frequencies where the
attenuation caused by wave guide is smaller. Waveguides are used in microwave transmission.
Circular waveguides are used as attenuators and phase shifters
17 An air-filled, rectangular waveguide has dimensioned a = 2.5 [cm] and b = 1.25 [cm]. At
an operating frequency of 17 [GHz], what modes are above cutoff?
18 A RADAR system operates in an environment with atmospheric attenuation of
0.010dB/Km. An electromagnetic wave of 1.75 GHz is pulsed to detect a target of a cross-
2
sectional area of 10 cm echoing at a range of 100Km. If the pulsing Antenna has a gain
of 40dB and a receiver threshold of -110dBm, Calculate the minimum peak transmitted
power needed in this pulsed RADAR system
19 It is necessary to propagate a 10 GHz signal in a waveguide whose wall separation is 6
cm
- What is the greatest number of half-waves of electric intensity that it will be possible
to establish between the two walls (i.e., the largest value of m)?
- Calculate the guide wavelength for this mode of propagation
20 A rectangular waveguide has dimensioned a = 6 cm and b = 4 cm:
- Over what range of frequencies will the guide operate single-mode?
- Over what frequency range will the guide support both TE10 and TE01 modes and no
others?
21 What is directivity of an antenna, explain with its mathematical equation.
22 What is radiation pattern, explain the radiation pattern of directional antenna with the help
of diagram.
23 What is polarization
24 Consider a lossless half-wave dipole in free space, with radiation resistance, Rrad = 73
, and maximum directivity Dmax = 1.64. If the Antenna carries a 1A current amplitude: -
- How much total power (in watts) is radiated?
2
- How much power is intercepted by a 1 m aperture situated at distance r = 1 km away?
