Certified Fiber Optics Practice Exam

What components make up an optical fiber?

1. Core, Cladding, Coating

2. Core, Jacket, Coating

3. Core, Buffer, Cladding

4. Core, Tape, Shell

The correct answer is: Core, Cladding, Coating

An optical fiber is primarily composed of three essential components: the core, cladding, and coating. The core is the central part of the fiber through which light travels. It is made of a material with a higher refractive index, allowing light signals to be transmitted efficiently through the fiber via total internal reflection. The cladding surrounds the core and is made from a material with a lower refractive index. This cladding plays a critical role in maintaining the light within the core by preventing it from escaping and ensuring that signal loss is minimized. Finally, the coating is an outer protective layer that safeguards the fiber from damage, moisture, and environmental factors while also providing additional strength and durability to the optical fiber. While other options may include terms that are related to the construction or additional protective layers of fiber cables, they do not accurately represent the three primary components that constitute an optical fiber. This makes the combination of core, cladding, and coating the most precise description of what an optical fiber is composed of.