optic fibers are replacing copper wires because of high speed of light . is electric current not that fast???

Question

there must have been expereimetnts on sample lenght a wire and a fiber that prove the data transmission speed of one is n times faster the other? How fast is it? this is
in reference to the below question where public talk of many theories of current and prove that electric current speed is 75 percent of light which i felt is not that big a differnce for change in technolgy.i think it should be drastic difference for such a technological revolution adn replacement of the older system.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW REAL DATA OF SPEED OF CURRENT

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Answer 1

It's not the speed, it's the bandwidth. The propagation speed of signals in copper wire and in glass fiber is comparable (typically 0.7c), but the glass has a potential bandwidth thousands of times wider than you can get with paired copper conductors. Copper twisted pair is good for a few megahertz bandwidth; coaxial cable can go up to a gigahertz or so, but fiber can do ten gigahertz easily, and more with advanced gadgetry.

Answer 2

Well, because often the signal doesn't go straight to your destination and back again. Sometimes the signal takes a circuitous trip thhrough various routers that may actually increase the physical distance between your computer and the destination. It's similar in some ways to television programs that are aired by satellite. Say Wolf Blitzer is televising from Washington. D.C. on CNN and you live in Alexandria, Virginia. Even though the distance between Washington and Alexandria is miniscule, the signal actually has to travel all the way up into space and back down again to your local satellite affiliate, so in effect it may make a huge trip for a very short geographic distance. Normally, the routers are designed such that the shortest possible trip is made (by calculation) so that the signal arrives fast, but it doesn't guarantee a "direct" route. Also, the speed depends upon the bandwidth. A good analogy here is to imagine two pipes, one narrow and one wide. A narrow pipe lets a smaller quantity of water to pass through than a wide one. Similarly, a connection with greater bandwidth lets more information pass in each unit of time, so you get it faster.

Answer 3

Signal density is the larger share of the answer, but economics is another part of it as well. There is a problem with fiber that few are aware of. The various signals can merge into one signal if proper care is not taken to prevent this. This is because the light is slowed down in the fiber so that the signals can merge together.
Upkeep of the copper system, bandwidth, signal degradation, and security all play a part in the change over. Fiber doesn't require the relay stations that used to be in operation to maintain signal integrity. These stations were scattered across the country. I know that there is one such station near Susanville, CA.

Answer 4

It's not the speed of the signal, (though light is marginally faster), but the density of the information carried on the signal.
Because light can carry higher frequencies more information per second can be transmitted.

Answer 5

all photons (energy) including electricity travels at at the speed of light but because of risistants in wires slows electricity down and the voltage may drop if it travels in a long wire. a 75% difference is big if your talking about the speed of light. light travels at about 300,000 km a second and a 75% drop meens electrtcity travels ar 225,000 km a second in wire.

Answer 6

It is not the speed, it is the density. Much more can travel through fiber optics. Fiber optics also do not travel at the speed of light.

Answer 7

Fiber are replacing copper in
computer, communication, and control systems.
Because nothing, including the speed
of light, is fast enough those systems.

And alumunim is already replacing copper
in many power systems, because
copper has the really bad property
of being really flimsy in the strength
of materials area.

Answer 8

Fiber optic cable has many advantages over copper cable. Fiber transmits data much faster over longer distances than copper. Fiber cable is also smaller diameter and weighs less than its copper counterpart, making it ideal for a variety of cabling solutions.

Fiber optics are immune to RFI (radio frequency interference) and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) making them ideal for applications where close proximity to electronic devices can cause RFI and EMI disruption.

Fiber optic cabling uses less power and provides less signal degradation than copper cables. They are generally non-flammable, virtually unable to be tapped, and are better suited for data and illumination transmission.

Compared to conventional metal wire (copper wire), optical fibers are:

* Less expensive - Several miles of optical cable can be made cheaper than equivalent lengths of copper wire. This saves your provider (cable TV, Internet) and you money.

* Thinner - Optical fibers can be drawn to smaller diameters than copper wire.

* Higher carrying capacity - Because optical fibers are thinner than copper wires, more fibers can be bundled into a given-diameter cable than copper wires. This allows more phone lines to go over the same cable or more channels to come through the cable into your cable TV box.

* Less signal degradation - The loss of signal in optical fiber is less than in copper wire.

* Light signals - Unlike electrical signals in copper wires, light signals from one fiber do not interfere with those of other fibers in the same cable. This means clearer phone conversations or TV reception.

* Low power - Because signals in optical fibers degrade less, lower-power transmitters can be used instead of the high-voltage electrical transmitters needed for copper wires. Again, this saves your provider and you money.

* Digital signals - Optical fibers are ideally suited for carrying digital information, which is especially useful in computer networks.

* Non-flammable - Because no electricity is passed through optical fibers, there is no fire hazard.

* Lightweight - An optical cable weighs less than a comparable copper wire cable. Fiber-optic cables take up less space in the ground.

* Flexible - Because fiber optics are so flexible and can transmit and receive light, they are used in many flexible digital cameras for the following purposes:
o Medical imaging - in bronchoscopes, endoscopes, laparoscopes
o Mechanical imaging - inspecting mechanical welds in pipes and engines (in airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, cars)
o Plumbing - to inspect sewer lines

I think this is enough.

Answer 9

glass has higher bandwidth