Radio Waves & Electromagnetic Fields PhET lab

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School

Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis *

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Course

102

Subject

Electrical Engineering

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

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Uploaded by DeaconSnowBison36

Radio Waves & Electromagnetic Fields As a refresher, define the following terms: Wavelength: distance between successive crests Frequency: number of crests that pass a given point per unit time Amplitude: maximum height of crest Transverse wave: the motion of particles in a wave can either be perpendicular to the wave direction Longitudinal wave: the motion of particles in a wave can either be parallel to the wave direction Open the Radio Waves and Electromagnetic Fields PhET simulation Before playing with the sim, predict what you think will happen when you move the transmitter electron: Now test it! Wiggle the KPHET transmitter’s electron and note the results. Nature Speaks!

When electrons accelerate, they emit an electric field. Set the Field Display Type to Full field a nd the Transmitter Movement to Oscillate . Describe what is happening: The electron is moving up and down the pole. While it is moving the force on the electron in the field sense is moving as well. Change the Frequency and Amplitude sliders and describe what happens to the fields. When increasing the frequency and amplitude, the movement of the arrows sped up and were larger. When lowering both of them, the arrows to show the force on the electron start to disappear. Set the Field Display Type to Curve with vectors , and Field Displayed to Radiated field . Describe what is happening in the transmitter and the receiver. Click on Electron Positions to activate the wave graphs. Describe what is happening in the transmitter and the receiver. The force of electrons is moving in opposite directions in a curve. The curve shows the path that the electron will follow because of the electromagnetic wave. After playing around with the frequency and amplitude settings, evaluate the following statements ● If the amplitude is increased, the wavelength decreases increases stays the same ● If the oscillation frequency of the transmitting electron decreases, the oscillation frequency of the electron in the receiver is instantaneously affected. True False

● The electron in the receiving antenna oscillates at a lower frequency than the electron in the transmitting antenna because of the distance between the antennas. True False ● If the frequency of oscillation increases but the amplitude of the electron oscillation remains the same, then the electron in the transmitting antenna is experiencing larger accelerations (recall what you know about acceleration and motion). True False ● If the amplitude increases but frequency remains the same, the electron at the receiving antenna experiences larger peak forces but oscillates at the same frequency as before. True False ● If the frequency of the transmitting electron decreases by a factor of two, it will now take longer for the electromagnetic signal to reach the receiving antenna. True False ● If the frequency decreases, the wavelength decreases. True False Explain why you lose your FM radio signal as you travel farther away from the radio station’s transmitter. When traveling farther away from the radio station’s transmitter it starts to lose the signal because it weakens. FM radios have smaller wavelengths and cannot reach long distances because of this. Explain why your radio produces longitudinal waves yet receives transverse waves. Radios produce longitudinal waves yet receives transverse waves because of the electromagnetic waves it produces. The antenna of the radios register the waves as transverse waves because of the conductive material it is made out of.

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