Electromagnetic wave velocities: an experimental approach

We describe experiments with coaxial transmission lines for the study of some of the velocities used to characterize the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a medium, namely phase, group and signal velocities. The experiments are suitable for undergraduates at advanced laboratory level. Their purpose is to acquaint the students with the fact that in a dispersive medium there are many possible definitions for the speed of light, and that the measurement of these different velocities is important for general understanding of wave propagation.