Fiber optics is a branch of optics concerning the transmission of light by means of optical fibers, which are thin strands of glass or other optically transparent materials. Optical fibers can be used to guide light--which is electromagnetic radiation in a certain frequency range--in much the same way that metal wave guides or coaxial cables can be used to guide lower-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

An optical fiber is usually circular in cross section and consists of a core and cladding. An optical fiber for communication applications is typically between about 0.1 and 0.2mm (0.004 and 0.008 in) in diameter. In order that the light waves be guided by the fiber, the core must have a higher index of refraction than the cladding. One such fiber is called a step-index fiber because the index changes abruptly at the interface between the core and the cladding. An importa

Fiber optics is used in several areas of telecommunications. Advantages of optical fibers include their wide bandwidth, low attenuation, lightness, small cross section, and non-conductivity of electricity. In telephone systems they can provide communication

In the step-index fiber, the light wave is guided by a process called total internal reflection. Only rays that have an angle of incidence at the core-cladding interface greater than the critical angle will be reflected back into the core and thus guided by the

Some common words found in the essay are:
Applications Fiber, Optical Fiber, Transmission Light, Paper Fiber, optical fibers, transmission light, optical fiber, fiber optics, fiber bundles, cross section, applications fiber, core cladding, guided fiber, electromagnetic radiation,
Approximate Word count = 656
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)