What weather condition might decrease range at microwave frequencies?

What weather condition might decrease range at microwave frequencies?

• A. Clear skies
• B. High humidity
• C. Precipitation
• D. Strong winds

Answer: (C)

Precipitation is a weather condition that significantly affects microwave frequencies, as it can lead to attenuation of the signal. When microwave signals travel through rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation, the water droplets can scatter and absorb the energy of the radio waves, which diminishes both the strength and clarity of the signal received. This effect becomes more pronounced with increasing frequency, making microwave transmissions particularly sensitive to such weather conditions. In contrast, clear skies typically allow for unobstructed signal transmission, while high humidity might cause some signal degradation but is generally less impactful than precipitation. Strong winds may disrupt antennas or signal alignment but do not inherently decrease the signal range like precipitation does. Therefore, the presence of precipitation is a critical factor that can lead to reduced range and effectiveness of microwave frequency communications.

Precipitation is a weather condition that significantly affects microwave frequencies, as it can lead to attenuation of the signal. When microwave signals travel through rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation, the water droplets can scatter and absorb the energy of the radio waves, which diminishes both the strength and clarity of the signal received. This effect becomes more pronounced with increasing frequency, making microwave transmissions particularly sensitive to such weather conditions.

In contrast, clear skies typically allow for unobstructed signal transmission, while high humidity might cause some signal degradation but is generally less impactful than precipitation. Strong winds may disrupt antennas or signal alignment but do not inherently decrease the signal range like precipitation does. Therefore, the presence of precipitation is a critical factor that can lead to reduced range and effectiveness of microwave frequency communications.