Radar

__**What is Radar?**__ Radar is a an object detection system that uses radio waves to detect range, speed, direction and altitude of an object. Radio waves are electromagnetic requiring no medium to travel and range anywhere from 3kHz to 300gHz with corresponding wavelengths from 1mm to 100km. Radio waves also travel the speed of light. Radar creates its own radio waves instead of relying on different waves around it.

__**How this topic relates to sound?**__ Radar relates to sound in that it uses radio waves to operate. Without the use of these waves the system would not work. Radar is used in many different fields. It is used in the military for location of ships and aircraft, in aviation to prevent plane collisions and to control airport traffic, in geology to locate things underground, and in meteorology to monitor precipitation.

__**How It Works?**__ Radar works by the use of a transmitter and a receiver usually placed at the same location. The transmitter emits radio waves (radar signals) in a desired direction. When the radar signals encounter an object the signals are either scattered or reflected. The reflected waves are what are brought back to the receiver. These waves although weak can be strengthened by electronic amplifiers. The receiver reads the waves and then determines what it can about the object. Radar can detect the reflected signals from different atmospheric gases and water vapor but in the making of the radar these substances are usually tuned out. Rain, fog, clouds, falling snow and sleet are usually transparent to radar.


 * Ships Radar**
 * Air Traffic Control Radar**

__**References**__ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar http://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/galv_boats_on_radar_600.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/3025325055_c1494b1580.jpg