FCC Exam Question: 3-7A5

What type of wave is made up of sine waves at the fundamental frequency and all the harmonics?

A. Sawtooth wave.
B. Square wave.
C. Sine wave.
D. Cosine wave.
Correct Answer: A

Explanation: Complex waveforms can be decomposed into a sum of simple sine waves at a fundamental frequency and its integer multiples, known as harmonics, through a process called Fourier analysis. A **sawtooth wave** is unique in that its Fourier series includes the fundamental frequency and *all* integer harmonics (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on). The amplitudes of these harmonics decrease inversely with their harmonic number. In contrast: * A **square wave** consists of the fundamental frequency and *only the odd* harmonics (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.). * A pure **sine wave** or **cosine wave** is a single-frequency waveform and does not contain any harmonics. They are the basic building blocks of more complex waves.

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Includes Elements 1, 3, 6, 7R, 8, and 9.