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#61
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The below answer is from the top of my knowledge. I haven't especially
studied physics, but I had some interest in the field at school, that is about 10 years ago. Jay Honeck wrote: Okay, here's a weird one for the group: Radio waves are the same as light waves, except they're not in the visible spectrum, right? Wrong. Light is made of of particules which move in an approximate straight line. I say approximate, because it's not going perfectly straight. Light going perfectly straight is called 'laser'. The normal light is not going perfectly straight, that is why you can see a large area on the highway during the night. Radio waves is electricity. Remember the atoms drawing from school? The center of the atom (nucleus) is made of protons (positive charge) and neutrons (neutral charge), and electrons (negative charge) circle around the nucleus. To produce electricity you make the electrons to circle faster than usual. When electrons are going fast enough they will leave their nucleus and hit the lectrons of the next atoms, replacing it. Electricity is the form of energy caused by this electrons activity. When you understand the basic of electricity (what I stated was the very basic, the reality is clearly more complex and beyond my understanding) it becomes obvious that electricity doesn't go straight, but instead in any direction, as long as the matter can handle it (that is, you can lock electricity within a copper wire because the surrending matter is not compatible atomic-wise). For radio waves you simply emit electric signal directly into the air. Unlike for electricity used as power, electricity used as radio waves is very light (powerless) but very controled (the frequency must be very precise for the receptor to be able to reproduce the original signal). Here's why it matters: As we were departing from Muscatine, IA today (a beautiful day to fly in the Midwest, BTW -- clear and warm) after a great lunch, my gaze fell on their on-field VOR transmitter. Focusing closely on the "Hershey's Kiss"-shaped structure (with my new glasses -- wow, what a difference a new prescription makes!), I wondered aloud if the lens in my eye was at that moment focusing powerful radio waves onto my retina. I wouldn't think that is the case. Lens are designed to focus the light in a particular way (to compensate for your eyes lacking at doing it as it should be), and I doubt this would have any effect on radio waves at all. Mary, a scientist with a strong physics background, was not sure if radio waves behaved the same as light waves. I've never heard of anyone frying their retinas by looking at a radio transmitter, but this begs the question: Can the lens in your eye focus radio waves? If not, why not? Have you even lit a fire with your glasses, concentration light from the sun onto a sheet of paper? I am not quite sure, but I think this is not possible. Unlike a magnifying glass, your glasses lens are designed to focus the light, not concentrate it. I don't wear glasses; when you stare at the sun do you think it burns you eyes harder with glasses than without it? Eventhoug radio waves behave like light, I doubt the glasses wouldn't have any effect, as I don't think it concentrate the waves, just focus it, and also because radio waves are very light. Again I am no physicians. Just my 2¢ here. Tom |
#62
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Light is made of of particules which move in an approximate straight line. I say approximate, because it's not going perfectly straight. [snip] Radio waves is electricity. [snip] [etc] No. Sorry, that's not how it works. There are previous answers in this thread, I won't recapitulate, but radio is just "long light waves" and light is just "very short radio waves". The wavelength makes all the difference. Jose ("you see, the wired telegraph is just like a very long cat. You're pulling its tail in New York, and it's mewing in London. Wireless radio is just like that, except there's no cat.") -- (for Email, make the obvious changes in my address) |
#63
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"Jim Fisher" wrote: Unfortunately, when it comes to physics the more I think I grasp, the less I actually grasp. This is called the Aintcertainty Principal. Tee-hee! Every three or four years I buy one of those "Quantum Mechanics for Laymen" books. I can cram a dim understanding into my brain, but it evaporates quicker than 100LL on a hot ramp. -- Dan C172RG at BFM (remove pants to reply by email) |
#64
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"Peter Duniho" wrote:
An iron nail will "focus" RF. I don't think Jay has iron nails for lenses in his eyes. However, it wouldn't surprise me to find you have iron nails in your eyes. It sure would explain a lot. Haw! Good one. -- Dan C172RG at BFM (remove pants to reply by email) |
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