theSpectrum
“Listen” to its Radio Waves
1
EM Wave Emitter
5
Lecture Demonstration Specialist beehler@physics.utah.edu
Adam Beehler’s Demolicious Physics presents:
Handheld radios pick up radio waves - go figure. These electromagnetic waves are emitted by many different sources, other than just your favorite radio station. A cellphone should be an obvious choice as such a source. So tune your radio to some static noise, so that one radio station does not dominate the signal. Then simply walk around and hold the radio up to different sources to “hear” the waves they are emitting. You might be surprised which objects give off so many radio waves. To help hear a signal more clearly, you may need to slowly scan through the AM and FM ranges. You may also slowly re-orient the radio next to the object in question. Try your cellphone in its different modes - GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth. Some other suggested objects to “listen” to are transformers, spark plugs, and calculators while computing.
TRICKS YOU DID NOT KNOW YOU COULD DO WITH
CELL PHONES
2
IR Tester
Check your Batteries Your remote emits infrared light (IR)
I wanted to follow in the same vein as last that your eyes cannot detect, but digital cameras can see it quite edition’s, “5 Things You Did Not Know You easily. Justmost aim the camera at the top of the Could Do With Lasers” - simple, fun, and remote, and push a button on the remote while looking into the camera. If the batteries are practical for just about anyone. I have been dead you wouldn’t see any light emitted from using some of the following tricks for years the remote control. and people seem to be amazed when I use them. I think it is time everyone knows and uses some of these tricks, as they are both neat and very useful in certain situations. For materials, I just used a regular cell phone with a camera capability. 26