A more fundamental explanation of reflections on transmissio

[Edward Jensen]

Hi.

I know that reflections occur on a transmission line where there is an
impedance discontinuity and I can show by reduction ad absurdum that an
reflection must occur since we cannot have both V_1 = V_2 and I_1 = I_2
since I_1 = V_1/Z_1 and I_2 = V_2/Z_2. I can also grasp the concept in
terms of a traveling wave on a piece of string/wire with a mass
discontinuity.

What I cannot seem to understand is a more fundamental explanation of the
phenomenon in electronic. By that I mean on an atomic/sub-atomic level. Can
anyone provide such an explanation or point to relevant litterature?

Thanks in advance.

 

On Jan 15, 1:36 am, "Edward Jensen" <edw...@jensen.invalid> wrote:

What I cannot seem to understand is a more fundamental explanation of the
phenomenon in electronic. By that I mean on an atomic/sub-atomic level. Can
anyone provide such an explanation or point to relevant litterature?

How about water analogy... can you understand water wave reflection
in terms of water molecules? Or acoustic reflections in terms of air
molecules? Probably not. The 'wave' is not the 'transmission
medium,'
and if you zoom in your viewpoint, you'll no longer see the wave, but
only see the medium.

 

[whit3rd]

On Jan 15, 1:36 am, "Edward Jensen" <edw...@jensen.invalid> wrote:

I know that reflections occur on a transmission line where there is an
impedance discontinuity

What I cannot seem to understand is a more fundamental explanation of the
phenomenon in electronic. By that I mean on an atomic/sub-atomic level.

It's about the fields. The reason charges move along the wire,
is an electric field pulls them. And, the result of moving charge
is a magnetic field.

So, in addition to electrons (subatomic particles), there is some
electric
and magnetic field in the transmission line, and THAT is
why the reflections occur: the fields hold energy, and the
movement of that energy is disturbed by variations in the
transmission medium, in ways that are consistant with
wave reflection in other models (slinky/rope/string transverse
acoustic waves, water/rubber tube pressure waves, and
light/refractive media).