AI-2
COMPLEMENTARY (SECONDARY) COLORS OF LIGHT—The colors of light produced when
two of the primaries are mixed in overlapping beams of light. The complementary colors of light are
magenta, yellow, and cyan.
COMPLEX WAVE—A wave produced by combining two or more pure tones at the same time.
COMPRESSION WAVES—Longitudinal waves that have been compressed (made more dense) as they
move away from the source.
CONDUCTANCE—The opposite of resistance in transmission lines. The minute amount of resistance
that is present in the insulator of a transmission line.
CONNECTED ARRAY—Another term for DRIVEN ARRAY.
COPPER LOSSES—The I2R loss in a conductor caused by the current flow through the resistance of the
conductor.
CORNER-REFLECTOR ANTENNA—A half-wave antenna with a reflector consisting of two flat
metal surfaces meeting at an angle behind the radiator.
COUNTERPOISE—A network of wire that is connected to a quarter-wave antenna at one end and
provides the equivalent of an additional 1/4 wavelength.
COUPLING DEVICE—A coupling coil that connects the transmitter to the feeder.
CREST (TOP)—The peak of the positive alternation (maximum value above the line) of a wave.
CRITICAL ANGLE—The maximum angle at which radio waves can be transmitted and still be
refracted back to earth.
CRITICAL FREQUENCY—The maximum frequency at which a radio wave can be transmitted
vertically and still be refracted back to earth.
CURRENT-FEED METHOD—Same as CENTER-FEED METHOD.
CURRENT STANDING-WAVE RATIO (ISWR)—The ratio of maximum to minimum current along a
transmission line.
CYCLE—One complete alternation of a sine wave that has a maximum value above and a maximum
value below the reference line.
DAMPING—Reduction of energy by absorption.
DENSITY—(1) The compactness of a substance. (2) Mass per unit volume.
DETECTOR—The device that responds to a wave or disturbance.
DIELECTRIC HEATING—The heating of an insulating material by placing it in a high frequency
electric field.
DIELECTRIC LOSSES—The losses resulting from the heating effect on the dielectric material between
conductors.
DIFFRACTION—The bending of the paths of waves when the waves meet some form of obstruction.
