Radiation and communication

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). Remote controls, mobile phones, televisions and radios are such commonplace devices that it is easy to take for granted how they work. What they have in common is that electromagnetic radiation is used to send messages from a transmitter to a receiver with no physical connection between them. This ‘action-at-a-distance’ has become a familiar part of everyday life.

The booklet focuses on the scientific principles underlying the use of electromagnetic radiation in communication devices, from visible light through to radio waves. The Radiation and Communication booklet contains an illustrated overview of the topic with suggestions for teachers on how to introduce the ideas in the classroom, plus student activity sheets and notes for teachers and technicians.