The distance between crests of a wave. The wavelength determines the nature of the various forms of radiant energy that comprise the electromagnetic spectrum. For electromagnetic waves, the wavelength in meters is computed by the speed of light divided by frequency (300,000,000/Hz). For sound waves, the wavelength is determined by 335/Hz. See optical bands.
Length of a Wave
The wavelength is the distance between crests. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength.
Wavelengths of Visible Light
The wavelengths of light that humans can see range from approximately 400 nm to 750 nm.
Length of a Wave
The wavelength is the distance between crests. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength.
Wavelengths of Visible Light
The wavelengths of light that humans can see range from approximately 400 nm to 750 nm.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Can light drive a motor?
- Can light drive a motor?.....Now that is some cool tech! And look who developed it! Wasn't the "all powerful" Americans, that's for sure. It's innovations like this that will drive the world into the future. Nice to see someone is at least making progress. ]:)What progress?We've been able to turn...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-29
- RAD'S Ethernet NTU's Provide Interoute With End-to-End Customer Visibility
- Interoute owns and operates Europe's largest Next Generation network. The company wanted to deliver managed Ethernet services with challenging end-to-end SLAs over a network that spans several providers. Interoute's Ethernet Flex and Ethernet Clear offer customers private connections between sites, and it is here where RADs ETX-202 Ethernet network termination...
- Case studies 2008-05-22
- Satellites seeing clearly despite clouds
- Two researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory PNNL have developed a mathematical tweak which dramatically improves air pollution detection on cloudy days. They've found a way to reduce cloud-induced glare when satellites measure blue skies on cloudy days, by as much as ten-fold in some cases. 'Because clouds represent one...
- Blog posts 2008-05-13
- AudioCalc (zip)
- AudioCalc is a simple utility which calculates audio file sizes. Given any bit depth, sample rate, number of tracks, and number of channels (mono/stereo). AudioCalc can tell you either how much space a file or set of files of a given length and format will take up or. How long...
- Software downloads 2008-04-15
- Limitations of Transmission Distances Over Multimode Fiber
- Multimode fiber simply refers to the fact that numerous modes or light rays are carried simultaneously through the waveguide. One key characteristic of a multimode fiber is its modal bandwidth. It represents the capacity of a fiber to transmit a certain amount of information over a certain distance and is...
- White papers 2008-04-01
- How I (finally) shared a Wi-Fi connection with my neighbors
- How I finally shared a Wi-Fi connection with my neighborsNice Work!ntRE: How I finally shared a Wi-Fi connection with my neighborsInteresting but just a small technical point. the "signals" are radio waves that travel in straight lines. nothing can make the signal "wend it's way around the metal...
- Discussion threads 2008-03-18
- Multi-Granular Optical Path Networking Technologies
- Optical path technologies exploit wavelength routing, enhance node throughput and reduce network cost. ROADMs have recently been introduced and a large scale deployment is being conducted in North America and Japan. GMPLS controlled OXCs have also been used to create nation-wide testbeds. New broadband services including IP TV and high...
- White papers 2008-02-20
- Don't cry for the open-source heroes
- I don't think anyone will be shedding any tears over Microsoft's open-source heroes promotion -- except possibly for true open-source zealots who still hate the idea that Microsoft is managing to convince some open-source vendors to port their wares to Windows. On February 27, Microsoft will hold...
- Blog posts 2008-02-15
- Smart holograms to monitor our health?
- In a short news release, the Institute of Physics reports that smart holograms, which use materials called hydrogels that shrink or swell in response to local environmental conditions, can be used to monitor many physical conditions than three years ago. These smart holograms could soon be used 'by diabetics to...
- Blog posts 2008-02-05
- Physical Impairment Based Regenerator Placement and Routing in Translucent Optical Networks
- A novel Constraint-Based Routing CBR algorithm taking into account the dominant linear and nonlinear fiber optical transmission impairments has been analyzed. It is shown that CBR and intelligent regenerator placement decrease the blocking probability significantly. In future transparent optical transmission systems automatic wavelength switching will be introduced (Automatically Switched Optical...
- White papers 2008-01-22
- On Multicasting in Wavelength-Routing Mesh Networks
- This paper considers multicasting on wavelength-routing mesh optical networks. Although multicasting has been studied extensively in different network environments, multicasting in this environment is different, and more involved. The paper discusses the challenges of multicast support in optical wavelength routing networks, and reports on the advances made so far in...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- Light Trails: A Sub-Wavelength Solution for Optical Networking
- All-optical networks are able to transport data from source to destination entirely in the optical domain. This is a departure from current optical networks that rely on Optical-Electrical-Optical OEO conversion at each intermediate connection node to route data properly. The opacity inherent in traditional networks is costly in terms of...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- OMSTPB - Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) Basic Training v8.0
- View Available Dates and LocationsIn this intense course, you'll get the skills necessary to deploy a Multiservice Transport Platform MSTP network, including fiber-cleaning techniques, fiber test requirements, and node turn-up. Learn to deploy different dense wavelength-division multiplexing DWDM topologies using Cisco Transport Planner CTP to provision...
- Training 2008-01-01
- OMSTPD - Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) Implementing Data Over DWDM v8.0
- View Available Dates and LocationsIn this lab-intensive course, get an introduction to the data features and functions of Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform MSTP dense wavelength-division multiplexing DWDM Release 8. You will learn the important theoretical concepts that underlie data encapsulation and how the concepts are...
- Training 2008-01-01
- Converged Optical and Wireless Networking - Challenges for Photonics and Electronics
- Fixed and mobile communications will continue to converge coming years. Amongst other, this is also a goal of the Next Generation Networking initiative adopted by The International Telecommunication Union for the 2005-2008 Study Period. While a general belief is the Internet will support the majority of services, it should be...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- Blocking in All-Optical Networks
- This paper presents a new analytical technique, based on the inclusion - exclusion principle from combinatorics, for the analysis of all-optical networks with no wavelength conversion and random wavelength assignment. The paper uses this technique to propose two models of low complexity for analysing networks with arbitrary topologies and traffic...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- Evolution, Challenges and Enabling Technologies for Future WDM-Based Optical Access Networks
- Upgrading current-generation Time Division Multiplexing TDM-based optical access networks will be a challenge in the future when end-user demand outgrows current network capacity. Wavelength Division Multiplexing WDM has been considered as an ideal solution to extend the capacity of optical networks without drastically changing the fiber infrastructure. This paper investigates...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- Switching and Traffic Grooming in WDM Networks
- This paper considers the role of switching in minimizing the number of electronic ports (e.g., SONET ADMs) in an optical network that carries sub-wavelength traffic. Providing nodes with the ability to switch traffic between wavelengths, such as through the use of SONET cross-connects, can reduce the required number of electronic...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- Fair QoS-Aware Adaptive Routing and Wavelength Assignment in All-Optical Networks
- In all-optical networks with no wavelength conversion, signals must travel on the same wavelength over possibly very long distances. During transmission, the QoS of signals as measured by their Bit Error Rates is degraded not only by the propagation through fibers, but also by small optical leaks from other signals...
- White papers 2008-01-01
- How Cisco IT Used CWDM to Interconnect Japanese Data Center Sites
- Although a dedicated data center appeared to be a good solution, the cost of providing reliable connectivity between the data center and the two sales offices seemed prohibitive. To provide an acceptable level of reliability and redundancy, a circuit would be needed from the data center to Akasaka, from Akasaka...
- Case studies 2007-12-17
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Printers
- 'Green' Font Cuts Costs and Saves Trees (BNET)
- Three Ways to Save Paper (BNET)
- CNET Reviews printer buying guide (CNET)
- View all printers-tagged content on ZDNet
- Plan B from Brother
- It's the smarter way to work in color Our professional color ink-jet all-in-ones give you more choices, more features, and more value. Make the Smarter Choice. Learn More »
