In a mobile phone network, how many times as strong would a signal be expected to be at 500 m from a base station, compared with at 250 m? Choose the nearest value from the list below.
To determine how many times as strong a signal would be expected at 500 m from a base station compared to 250 m, we need to consider the relationship between signal strength and distance.
In general, signal strength tends to decrease as the distance from the base station increases. This decrease in signal strength is typically governed by the inverse square law.
According to the inverse square law, the signal strength at a distance is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. This means that if the distance from the base station doubles, the signal strength is expected to decrease to one-fourth (1/2^2) of its original strength.
Therefore, at 500 m from the base station compared to 250 m, the signal is expected to be (250^2) / (500^2) times as strong. Simplifying this expression gives us:
250^2 / 500^2 = 1/4
So the signal would be expected to be one-fourth as strong at 500 m compared to 250 m.
From the list below, the nearest value would be 0.25, which represents one-fourth of the signal strength.
Answer: 0.25
To determine the strength of a signal at different distances from a base station in a mobile phone network, we need to understand the concept of signal strength decay or attenuation.
Typically, signal strength decays with distance due to factors like obstacles, interference, and the physics of radio waves. One common way to describe this decay is using the inverse square law, which states that the power of a signal diminishes as the square of the distance from the source increases.
In this case, the question asks us to compare the signal strength at 500 m and 250 m from the base station.
Let's assume the signal strength at 250 m is represented by "x."
According to the inverse square law, the signal strength at 500 m can be calculated as follows:
Signal strength at 500 m = (Signal strength at 250 m) / (Distance at 500 m squared / Distance at 250 m squared)
Signal strength at 500 m = x / (500^2 / 250^2)
Simplifying this equation, we get:
Signal strength at 500 m = 4 * x
This means that the signal strength at 500 m is expected to be four times stronger than at 250 m.
Therefore, from the given list, the nearest value is 4.