Daytime Radio Challenge Students
will determine distances to AM stations and try to tune them in in class (or outside).
This will lead to the question: Why is AM reception different during
the day than during the night?
ACTIVITY (HW): FM Radio Challenge |
Radio Transmissions
Students will first reflect on the FM Radio Challenge. This will lead to
the questions: What is the difference between AM and FM radio signals?
Discussion of frequency and wavelength. (They are related by the speed of
light.)
ACTIVITY (HW): Have students calculate the wavelengths associated with
different frequencies. |
Radio Screens This
activity will show how different size screens effect different wavelengths. This
helps answer the question: Why is the radar not solid? It also leads to a nice
analogy about the ionosphere's reflective properties.
ACTIVITY (HW): Take home (or look-up on web) F-region data and hypothesize
about why AM reception is better at night. |
The Ionosphere
Electrons and Ions
Why do radio waves bounce off of the ionosphere? How is it different from
the rest of the atmosphere?
Exploring the Ionosphere
The Incoherent Scattering Radar
Examination of Haystack Data
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