Attenuation is defined as the loss of signal strength as distance increases.

• A. Loss of signal strength as distance increases
• B. Time for a signal to travel
• C. Leakage of signals
• D. Strengthening of a signal

Answer: (A)

Attenuation is the decrease in signal strength as it travels through a medium or along a link. As distance increases, factors like conductor resistance, connector losses, and the medium’s properties cause the signal to weaken, which is why we measure attenuation in decibels to understand how far a signal can travel before it becomes too weak. This concept is different from propagation delay, which is about the time a signal takes to traverse a path, and from leakage or crosstalk, which involve signals escaping or interfering with other channels, or from amplification, which strengthens a signal. So the statement describing the loss of signal strength as distance increases correctly captures attenuation.