Which phenomenon occurs when a signal arrives via multiple paths, potentially causing interference?

Which phenomenon occurs when a signal arrives via multiple paths, potentially causing interference?

• A. Refraction
• B. Multipathing
• C. Polarization
• D. Inversion

Answer: (B)

When a signal reaches the receiver via more than one route, the different versions of the wave can arrive at slightly different times and with different phases. When these multiple paths combine, they interfere with each other—sometimes boosting the signal and sometimes canceling parts of it. This is multipath propagation, a common source of interference and fading in radar and wireless systems. It explains why the received signal strength can fluctuate and why timing and waveform integrity can be affected. Refraction is about bending of waves when they pass into a different medium, not about multiple arrival paths. Polarization deals with the orientation of the wave’s electric field, not how many paths its travel took. Inversion usually refers to a reversal of a property (like a temperature profile) and isn’t describing the combining of signals from different routes.

When a signal reaches the receiver via more than one route, the different versions of the wave can arrive at slightly different times and with different phases. When these multiple paths combine, they interfere with each other—sometimes boosting the signal and sometimes canceling parts of it. This is multipath propagation, a common source of interference and fading in radar and wireless systems. It explains why the received signal strength can fluctuate and why timing and waveform integrity can be affected.

Refraction is about bending of waves when they pass into a different medium, not about multiple arrival paths. Polarization deals with the orientation of the wave’s electric field, not how many paths its travel took. Inversion usually refers to a reversal of a property (like a temperature profile) and isn’t describing the combining of signals from different routes.