With respect to data communication, which of the following statements is true…

Concept

A transmission medium can be classified by the physical carrier of information and by how the medium interacts with electromagnetic noise.

Optical fibre guides modulated light through a dielectric glass or plastic core. Because the path is nonconducting, nearby electromagnetic fields do not induce the noise that affects metallic cables.

Application

1. Identify the carrier: fibre-optic systems encode information as pulses of light rather than as voltage or current.

2. Identify the interference behaviour: a dielectric optical path is resistant to electromagnetic interference because it does not conduct electrical current.

3. Combine the two properties: the matching statement must pair light pulses with resistance to electromagnetic interference.

Contrast

• “Light pulses and prone to interference” combines the optical carrier with a property associated with conductive media.

• “Electronic signals and not prone to interference” combines the carrier of metallic media with the immunity of optical fibre.

• “Electronic signals and prone to interference” describes the carrier and noise behaviour of conductive metallic media.

Result

Therefore, fibre-optic cable carries data in pulses of light and is not prone to electromagnetic interference.