Attenuation increases with increasing which of the following?

• A. Path length
• B. Frequency
• C. Absorption
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

Attenuation is the loss of wave amplitude as it travels through a medium. It grows as the wave covers more distance because it interacts with more material and loses energy along the way. It also increases with frequency because higher-frequency waves interact more readily with the medium, leading to greater energy loss per unit length. Absorption is the mechanism by which energy is converted into heat in the medium, so more absorption directly boosts attenuation. Since each of these factors contributes to greater energy loss, attenuation rises with longer path length, higher frequency, and higher absorption. That’s why the best choice is all of the above.