Fiber Optics
Light, Color, and Sound - 4th Six Weeks Project
Fiber Optics
Sara McCormack, Special Harris, K’sandra Cunningham, and Arkayza Ross
Light, Color, and Sound – Fiber Optics
An optical fiber is made up of a core, cladding, and a buffer. The cladding moves the light along the core by using total internal reflection. The core and the cladding are usually made of high-quality silica glass, but they can both be made of plastic as well. Connecting two optical fibers is done by fusion splicing or mechanical splicing and requires special skills and interconnection technology.
Diagram of a fiber optic cable
Fiber optics would not be possible without total internal reflection. When light hits a medium of lesser index of refraction, the ray is bent away from the normal, so the exit angle is greater than the incident angle. The exit angle will then approach 90° for some critical incident angle, and for incident angles greater than the critical angle there will be total internal reflection.
Fiber optics uses glass or plastic fibers to transmit data in the form of light sent along long distances. These cables are used in TV’s, telephones, the internet, and in medical imaging. Information is sent as pulses of light that must be repeated at different points. Fiber optic lines can carry much more information at a time than traditional copper wires. The ability of fiber optic lines to carry digital data has significantly contributed to advances in digital communications because glass fibers are less subject to interference. Despite the lower interference, installing these fiber optic cables is difficult and time-consuming, complex, and expensive to install and operate. In order to package fiber into a commercially viable product, it typically is protectively coated by using ultraviolet, light-cured acrylate polymers, then terminated with optical fiber connectors, and finally assembled into a cable. After that, it can be laid in the ground and then run
Fiber Optics
Sara McCormack, Special Harris, K’sandra Cunningham, and Arkayza Ross
Light, Color, and Sound – Fiber Optics
An optical fiber is made up of a core, cladding, and a buffer. The cladding moves the light along the core by using total internal reflection. The core and the cladding are usually made of high-quality silica glass, but they can both be made of plastic as well. Connecting two optical fibers is done by fusion splicing or mechanical splicing and requires special skills and interconnection technology.
Diagram of a fiber optic cable
Fiber optics would not be possible without total internal reflection. When light hits a medium of lesser index of refraction, the ray is bent away from the normal, so the exit angle is greater than the incident angle. The exit angle will then approach 90° for some critical incident angle, and for incident angles greater than the critical angle there will be total internal reflection.
Fiber optics uses glass or plastic fibers to transmit data in the form of light sent along long distances. These cables are used in TV’s, telephones, the internet, and in medical imaging. Information is sent as pulses of light that must be repeated at different points. Fiber optic lines can carry much more information at a time than traditional copper wires. The ability of fiber optic lines to carry digital data has significantly contributed to advances in digital communications because glass fibers are less subject to interference. Despite the lower interference, installing these fiber optic cables is difficult and time-consuming, complex, and expensive to install and operate. In order to package fiber into a commercially viable product, it typically is protectively coated by using ultraviolet, light-cured acrylate polymers, then terminated with optical fiber connectors, and finally assembled into a cable. After that, it can be laid in the ground and then run
Citations: Freudenrich, Ph.D., Craig. "How Fiber Optics Work" 06 March 2001. HowStuffWorks.com. 09 February 2014. "Fiber Optics." What Is ? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. "Fiber Optic Tools and Training." Fiber Optic Tools and Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.