LIDAR signals share three characteristics with other forms of electromagnetic waves. Which of the following is NOT one of those characteristics?

LIDAR signals, like other forms of electromagnetic radiation, indeed share key characteristics such as frequency, wavelength, and speed, which are fundamental properties of electromagnetic waves.

The correct choice regarding which characteristic is not typically discussed in the context of LIDAR signals, compared to the common discussions surrounding electromagnetic waves, is amplitude. While amplitude refers to the height of the wave and can be relevant in signal strength and power measurements, it is not a defining characteristic of electromagnetic waves in the same way that frequency, wavelength, and speed are.

Frequency determines how many cycles of the electromagnetic wave occur in a given time and is directly related to the energy of the wave, whereas wavelength relates to the distance between consecutive peaks of the wave, and the signal speed describes how fast the wave travels through a medium. Each of these three characteristics is foundational to the understanding of electromagnetic propagation.

In summary, amplitude plays a role in signal measurements but does not fundamentally characterize LIDAR as electromagnetic waves do in terms of their primary properties.