Due 05/08/17
Antennas: Youve seen them, but never knew how they worked
An antenna is essentially a conductive rod that can respond to the EM waves it feels. You may even
create a makeshift antenna using a long piece of metal. The sole purpose of an antenna is to be able to
transmit and/or receive electromagnetic waves. This can be achieved even in simple metallic rods
because you can run an alternating current through them. Parabolic antennas, like large dish antennas
observed in NASA are shaped the way they are to maximize gain, or the amount of power it can provide
to its communication system. The alternating current that is produced in antennas due to the EM
radiation they experience is converted to electrical energy in the form of running charge. Demodulators
then decode the information send through radio waves and make them comprehensible to, say, a radio.
(Woodford)
Naman Pujari
Due 05/08/17
Bibliography
Woodford, C. (2017, March 5). How do antennas and transmitters work? Retrieved May 07, 2017, from
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/antennas.html
How Radio Works. (2000, December 07). Retrieved May 07, 2017, from
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radio.htm
How the Radio Spectrum Works. (2000, April 01). Retrieved May 07, 2017, from
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radio-spectrum.htm
Lucas, J. (2015, April 06). What Are Radio Waves? Retrieved May 07, 2017, from
http://www.livescience.com/50399-radio-waves.html
Northwestern University. (n.d.). Communications System. Retrieved May 07, 2017, from
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/communications/1-how-is-data-put-on-radio-waves.html