Albert Watson "Watt" Invents Radar!
It can track anything from people to weather!
The Radar
- Radio waves are sent out from the radar
- They bounce off of objects
- Then they are intercepted to determine a location of the object
Various Uses of the Radar
Warfare
- First used during World War II
- Some were set up around cities to detect incoming enemies
- More were mounted onto airplanes towards the end of WWII for reconnaissance
Weather
- Radar can detect thunderstorms using radio waves
- Knowledge of the atmosphere can be acquired through radio waves
Who contributed to radar advancements?
- United States Government put money towards research
- MIT Radiation Laboratory and the British made radars more accurate so they could detect submarines
Watson Watt
- Albert Watson-Watt invented the radar in 1938
- Arnold Wilkins and Watson showed that radar can detect aircrafts
- The unit "watt" was named in honor of Watson's scientific contribution
The First Radar- The SCR-270
- It had a transmitter and a receiver (2 of these ^ )
- It detected any object within its range (23-100 km)
- They were very large and expensive
- They were used to detect invading enemies
Modern Day Example - Accelerometer
- More portable - 1 cubic inch in size
- More functions - altitude, fire control, satellite motion sensing
*There are many more modern day radar devices*
Did You Know?
- The radar can be considered the second most significant scientific achievement of all time (behind the nuclear weapon).
- That RADAR is actually an acronym that means "Radio Detection and Ranging."
- The radar can be used medically to "detect objects" in the body like abnormal growths on organs.
Attributions
1. Radar and Electronic Warfare 1939-1945 by Royal Air Force official photographer made available for use by public domain.
2. Lightning over Las Cruces, New Mexico by Edward Aspera Jr. available for use by public domain.
3. Memorial plaque at the site of first successful RADAR experiments. by Kintak made available for use under a Creative Commons license.
4. SCR-270 Radar Antenna by brewbooks made available for under a Creative Commons license.
5. Arduino Uno with 5DOF Sensor and Breadboard Rewired by Shatton8111 made available for under a Creative Commons license.