Final answer:
The highest number of bits that can be sent across a media at one time is known as bandwidth. This term is distinct from throughput, goodput, and Mbps, which relate to data transfer rates. For network components like routers and antennas, their design and the physics governing electromagnetic waves play a crucial role in their operation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term bandwidth is the highest number of bits that can be sent across the media at any one time. Bandwidth is often confused with other network performance metrics such as throughput, goodput, and Mbps. To clarify, Mbps refers to megabits per second and is a measure of data transfer speed.
Throughput is the actual rate at which data is successfully transferred over a network, which may be lower than the bandwidth due to various factors like network congestion. Goodput considers only the useful transmitted data, excluding protocol overhead and retransmissions.
In regards to a wireless router transmitting data at a rate of 75 Mbps, the average time to transmit one bit of data would be the reciprocal of the data rate.
If we calculate the difference in time for a WiFi signal to reach a cell phone directly and the time after bouncing from a wall 8.00 m past the observer, we can apply the principles of physics related to the speed of light and distances traveled.
For radio antennas, the most efficient size is one-fourth the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves it is designed to transmit, and this characteristic length determines the resonant frequency of the antenna. X-rays, yellow light, and gamma rays all have different wavelengths which can be calculated using the formula λ = c/f, where λ is the wavelength, c is the speed of light, and f is the frequency.